Table_1_The Interplay Between Economic Status and Attractiveness, and the Importance of Attire in Mate Choice Judgments.docx

Desirable characteristics of “opposite sex others,” such as physical attractiveness and economic status, can influence how individuals are judged, and this is different for men and women. However, under various social contexts where cues of higher or lower economic status is suggested, sex differences in judgments related to mate choice have not been fully explored. In two studies, ratings of economic status and attractiveness were quantified for male and female targets that were presented under various social contexts. Study 1 assessed judgments (n = 1,359) of images of nine male and nine female targets in different sized groups containing only opposite-sex others (i.e., group size). While we found no significant effects of group size on male and female attractiveness, target female economic status increased when surrounded by two or more men. An ad hoc analysis controlling for the attire of the targets (business or casual) found that the association between target female economic status and group size occurred when females were in business attire. Study 2 investigates this effect further by presenting images of 12 males and 12 females, in higher and lower status attire (i.e., business and casual clothing) and measured judgments of attractiveness and economic status among women and men (n = 1,038). Consistent with the results of Study 1, female economic status was only affected when women were in business attire. However, female economic status decreased when in the presence of other men in business attire. There were no sex differences in judgments of economic status when judging stimuli in casual attire. Additionally, negative associations between attractiveness and economic status were found for males presented in casual attire. We discuss these results in the light of evolutionary sexual conflict theory by demonstrating how the asymmetrical importance of status between men and women can influence mate choice judgments.

异性他人的理想择偶特质，如外貌吸引力与经济地位，会影响个体对他人的评价，且这一效应存在性别差异。然而，在诸多暗示高低经济地位线索的社会情境中，与择偶判断相关的性别差异尚未得到充分探究。本研究通过两项实验，对不同社会情境下呈现的男女目标对象的经济地位与外貌吸引力评分进行量化分析。实验1针对仅包含异性的不同规模群体（即群体规模变量）中的9名男性与9名女性目标图像，招募1359名被试开展评价判断。结果显示，群体规模对男女目标的外貌吸引力均无显著影响，但当女性目标身处两名及以上男性群体中时，其被评定的经济地位会升高。对目标着装（正装或休闲装）进行控制的事后分析表明，女性目标的经济地位与群体规模的关联仅存在于女性身着正装的情境中。实验2进一步探究了该效应：向被试呈现12名男性与12名女性的图像，这些目标分别身着高低地位着装（即正装与休闲装），并招募1038名男女被试对其外貌吸引力与经济地位进行评分。与实验1的结果一致，女性目标的经济地位仅在其身着正装时会受到群体情境的影响；但当女性目标身处身着正装的男性群体中时，其被评定的经济地位反而下降。当评价身着休闲装的刺激材料时，被试的经济地位评定结果不存在性别差异。此外，对于身着休闲装的男性目标，其外貌吸引力与经济地位之间存在负相关关系。本研究基于进化性两性冲突理论（evolutionary sexual conflict theory），通过揭示男女两性对经济地位的不对称重视程度如何影响择偶判断，对上述实验结果展开讨论。