Relationship Satisfaction As a Function of Mate Value Publisher



Hromatko I^{1, 3} ; Bajoghli H^{2, 5} ; Rebernjak B^{1, 3} ; Tadinac M⁴ ; Joshaghani N^{1, 3}
Source: Evolutionary Behavioral Sciences Published:2015

Abstract

It has been proposed that mate value influences both the mate selection process and the quality of a romantic relationship once it has been formed. The aim of this study was to test the relations among perceived own and partner's mate value and relationship satisfaction. As a relationship is a dynamic process, in which assessments made by 1 member of the pair are not independent of the assessments made by the other member, we used an actor- partner interdependence model to test how one's assessments of own and partner's mate value (actor effects), along with his or her partner's assessments of own and partner's mate value (partner effects), combine to predict relationship satisfaction. To explore the possible effect of cultural context on the structure of relations among those variables, we conducted the study in 2 rather different cultures: Iran and Croatia. Not surprisingly, there were culture- and gender-related differences in mate value assessments. However, the structure of the relations among these assessments and relationship satisfaction was similar in 2 cultures, confirming the evolutionary hypothesis about the universal relevance of mate value in pair bonding. Specifically, the models showed that in both cultures the actor's own effects are stronger than the partner's ones, and that one's estimate of partner's quality as a mate is generally the strongest predictor of relationship satisfaction. The results are discussed in terms of both culturally contingent perceptions of own and partner's mate value and a more universal underlying mechanism (feeling of satisfaction as a function of partner's mate value). © 2015 American Psychological Association.