Faculty Articles
Mate Value Both Positively and Negatively Predicts Intentions to Commit an Infidelity
Document Type
Article
Publication Title
Personality and Individual Differences
ISSN
0191-8869
Publication Date
1-1-2017
Abstract
As a socially monogamous species, humans generally have one committed romantic partner at a time, but sometimes engage in infidelity. Previous research has related infidelity to individual difference traits, including global assessments of “mate value” (relative value as a romantic partner on the “mating market”). We explored the extent to which one's intention to commit an infidelity is uniquely predicted by different components of mate value. The results confirm a negative relationship between one's overall mate value and one's intention to commit an infidelity, and also identify four distinct mate value components (agreeableness/commitment, surgency, emotional stability, and physical attractiveness) that uniquely predict infidelity intention. Two of these factors, surgency (for women) and agreeableness/commitment (for men), positively predict anticipated infidelity. Additionally, the results indicate that men's but not women's infidelity intention is better predicted by the combination of their own and their partner's mate value. Discussion includes interpretations of the results in terms of potential social or personal advancement.
DOI
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2016.07.028
Volume
104
First Page
18
Last Page
22
NSUWorks Citation
Starratt, V. G.,
Weekes-Shackelford, V.,
Shackelford, T.
(2017). Mate Value Both
Positively and Negatively Predicts Intentions to Commit an Infidelity. Personality
and Individual Differences, 104, 18-22.
Available at: https://nsuworks.nova.edu/cps_facarticles/1169
