Mate preferences provide an opportunity to explore the validity of evolutionary and social role origin theories of sex differences in human behaviour. In evolutionary models, preferences are sex-specific adaptive responses to constraints to reproductive success. In social role models, sex differences arise from the allocation of men and women to different gender roles. I explored the effects of the status of women on preferences to assess the validity of the origin theories. I developed an adequate measure of female status (i.e. resource control), and explored its effects on female preferences in an online survey (Chapter 3), a mail-shot survey (Chapter 4), and a sample of non-industrial societies (Chapter 5). Results implicated a role of constraints on women in the expression of female-typical preferences. In an experimental manipulation of female perceptions of their status, results enabled greater confidence in the attribution of causal direction to relationships (Chapter 6). In Chapter 7, I explored the conditions under which the relationships of interest occurred. In Chapter 8, to further explore the origin models I investigated the effects of resource control on the magnitudes of sex differences in preferences. In Chapter 9, I explored relationships between a characteristic more closely related to the male gender role (i.e. apparent intelligence) and femininity in female faces. Women who were considered to look more intelligent were perceived as less feminine. In Chapter 10, I investigated the effects of reproductive strategy on mate preferences. Results were consistent with evolutionary models of behaviour. I argue that “status” is a multidimensional construct, and that its effects on mate preferences are complex, that while results were generally more consistent with an evolutionary than the biosocial model, integration of models would provide greater insight into human mate preferences.

Esta pesquisa comparou homens e mulheres de São Paulo e Roma em relação a estilos de apego, estilos de amor, crenças românticas e satisfação, verificando diferenças e similaridades em função do sexo e da cultura. Os participantes foram 117(n=234) e 164(n=328) casais de noivos, no Brasil e na Itália, com média de idade 28,7(SD=6,0) e 33,4(SD=5,9), respectivamente, sendo a maioria da amostra solteira, branca e de classe média. Em relação a padrões comportamentais masculinos e femininos no relacionamento, quase não foram encontradas diferenças entre Brasil e Itália. Nos dois países os homens tomaram a iniciativa para o primeiro encontro em aproximadamente 70% dos casos, os casais tiveram por volta de seis encontros antes do primeiro contato sexual, e em 50% dos casos o homem paga pela maior parte ou por todas as despesas do casal. Em relação ao estilo de apego foi encontrada uma diferença de sexo significante para o estilo Rejeitador, onde homens apresentaram maiores escores do que mulheres, nas duas culturas. Uma diferença cultural significante foi encontrada para os estilos Medroso e Preocupado, sendo que casais brasileiros apresentaram escores mais altos do que casais italianos. Quanto aos estilos de amor, os resultados mostraram o forte predomínio de Eros, com escores bastante altos em toda a amostra. Foram encontradas diferenças sexuais significantes para Estorge e Pragma, com mulheres apresentando maiores escores do que homens, e para Agape, em que homens obtiveram maiores escores do que mulheres. Diferenças culturais significantes também foram encontradas para Estorge, com casais brasileiros apresentando maiores escores do que casais italianos, e para Agape, com casais italianos apresentaram escores mais altos. Além disso, ocorreu um efeito de interação entre sexo e país para o estilo Ludus, que apresentou efeito de sexo somente no Brasil (homens brasileiros com escores significativamente maiores do que mulheres brasileiras), e efeito de cultura somente para os homens (homens brasileiros com escores significativamente mais altos do que homens italianos). Quanto à satisfação, todos os casais apresentaram escores totais bastante elevados e sem diferenças sexuais ou culturais significativas. Os resultados são discutidos em termos das teorias evolucionistas e sociais. / This research compares men and women from São Paulo and Rome related to adult romantic attachment, love-styles, romantic beliefs and satisfaction, with the goal to verify sexual and cultural differences and similarities. Participants were 117(n=234) and 164(n=328) engaged couples, and mean age was 28,7(SD=6,0) and 33,4(SD=5,9), in Brazil and Italy, respectively, and sample was predominant single, Caucasian, and middle social class. Regarding sex patterns in romantic relationships behavior no significant differences were found between Italy and Brazil. In both countries, men took initiative to the first date in around 70% of the cases; couples took approximately 6 dates before having sexual contact; and men paid for major part or for all couple expenses in 50% of the sample. Related to attachment styles was found significant sexual difference that men were more dismissing than women, in both cultures. A significant cultural difference was found for Fearful and Preoccupied styles, where Brazilians couples showed higher scores than Italians. Regarding love-styles results, a strong predomination of Eros was presented with very high scores in all sample. Significant sex differences were found for Storge and Pragma, where women showed higher scores than men, and for Agape, where men showed higher scores than women. Significant cultural differences were found for Storge, where Brazilians couples presented higher scores than Italians, and for Agape, where Italians couples scored higher than Brazilians. Indeed, for Ludus, an interaction effect between sex and country was found, with a sex difference only in Brazil (Brazilian men showed scores significant higher than Brazilian women), and occurred a cultural difference just for men (Brazilian men scored significantly higher than Italian men). Related to satisfaction, all couples presented very high total scores and with no significant differences for sex or culture. These findings are discussed in terms of evolutionist and social theories.

Esta pesquisa comparou homens e mulheres de São Paulo e Roma em relação a estilos de apego, estilos de amor, crenças românticas e satisfação, verificando diferenças e similaridades em função do sexo e da cultura. Os participantes foram 117(n=234) e 164(n=328) casais de noivos, no Brasil e na Itália, com média de idade 28,7(SD=6,0) e 33,4(SD=5,9), respectivamente, sendo a maioria da amostra solteira, branca e de classe média. Em relação a padrões comportamentais masculinos e femininos no relacionamento, quase não foram encontradas diferenças entre Brasil e Itália. Nos dois países os homens tomaram a iniciativa para o primeiro encontro em aproximadamente 70% dos casos, os casais tiveram por volta de seis encontros antes do primeiro contato sexual, e em 50% dos casos o homem paga pela maior parte ou por todas as despesas do casal. Em relação ao estilo de apego foi encontrada uma diferença de sexo significante para o estilo Rejeitador, onde homens apresentaram maiores escores do que mulheres, nas duas culturas. Uma diferença cultural significante foi encontrada para os estilos Medroso e Preocupado, sendo que casais brasileiros apresentaram escores mais altos do que casais italianos. Quanto aos estilos de amor, os resultados mostraram o forte predomínio de Eros, com escores bastante altos em toda a amostra. Foram encontradas diferenças sexuais significantes para Estorge e Pragma, com mulheres apresentando maiores escores do que homens, e para Agape, em que homens obtiveram maiores escores do que mulheres. Diferenças culturais significantes também foram encontradas para Estorge, com casais brasileiros apresentando maiores escores do que casais italianos, e para Agape, com casais italianos apresentaram escores mais altos. Além disso, ocorreu um efeito de interação entre sexo e país para o estilo Ludus, que apresentou efeito de sexo somente no Brasil (homens brasileiros com escores significativamente maiores do que mulheres brasileiras), e efeito de cultura somente para os homens (homens brasileiros com escores significativamente mais altos do que homens italianos). Quanto à satisfação, todos os casais apresentaram escores totais bastante elevados e sem diferenças sexuais ou culturais significativas. Os resultados são discutidos em termos das teorias evolucionistas e sociais. / This research compares men and women from São Paulo and Rome related to adult romantic attachment, love-styles, romantic beliefs and satisfaction, with the goal to verify sexual and cultural differences and similarities. Participants were 117(n=234) and 164(n=328) engaged couples, and mean age was 28,7(SD=6,0) and 33,4(SD=5,9), in Brazil and Italy, respectively, and sample was predominant single, Caucasian, and middle social class. Regarding sex patterns in romantic relationships behavior no significant differences were found between Italy and Brazil. In both countries, men took initiative to the first date in around 70% of the cases; couples took approximately 6 dates before having sexual contact; and men paid for major part or for all couple expenses in 50% of the sample. Related to attachment styles was found significant sexual difference that men were more dismissing than women, in both cultures. A significant cultural difference was found for Fearful and Preoccupied styles, where Brazilians couples showed higher scores than Italians. Regarding love-styles results, a strong predomination of Eros was presented with very high scores in all sample. Significant sex differences were found for Storge and Pragma, where women showed higher scores than men, and for Agape, where men showed higher scores than women. Significant cultural differences were found for Storge, where Brazilians couples presented higher scores than Italians, and for Agape, where Italians couples scored higher than Brazilians. Indeed, for Ludus, an interaction effect between sex and country was found, with a sex difference only in Brazil (Brazilian men showed scores significant higher than Brazilian women), and occurred a cultural difference just for men (Brazilian men scored significantly higher than Italian men). Related to satisfaction, all couples presented very high total scores and with no significant differences for sex or culture. These findings are discussed in terms of evolutionist and social theories.