Does Exercise Make Me More Attractive? Exploring the Relations Between Exercise and Mate Value
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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Does Exercise Make Me More Attractive? Exploring the Relations Between Exercise and Mate Value Urska Dobersek1 · Bridget Stallings2 · Gabrielle C. Wy3 · Charleen R. Case4 · Jon K. Maner5 Received: 3 July 2020 / Revised: 3 November 2020 / Accepted: 5 November 2020 © Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
Abstract Sexual selection in human evolution is well-established. Females are relatively more inclined than males to prefer mates that exhibit physical and social dominance (e.g., muscular, financially successful men); whereas males are relatively more inclined than females to seek mates displaying signs of high reproductive potential (e.g., young, attractive women). Given that physical training has the potential to improve traits related to sexual selection in both males and females, we examined if exercise habits altered assessments of mate value in a cross-sectional analysis of 265 undergraduate students. Participants completed a demographic questionnaire, an “Exercise Habits Inventory,” and a “Mate Value Inventory” for the assessment of the characteristics desired in their “ideal” mates and for self-perceptions of intrinsic mate value. Consistent with prior research, females preferred mates who were independent and generous, and both males and females preferred physically attractive mates. Females, independent of exercise frequency, were more selective than males as evidenced by a desire for “ideal” partners with a significantly higher mate value. Moreover, more frequent exercisers, independent of sex, had significantly higher self-perceived mate value than less frequent exercisers. Finally, a pattern consistent with theories of assortative mating was demonstrated via a significant positive relation between self-perceptions and the mate value of “ideal” partners. Keywords Exercise · Mate value · Sexual selection · Assortative mating
Background The scientific understanding of sexual selection and mate preference dates to the mid-nineteenth century. In The Descent of Man and Selection in Relation to Sex, Darwin posited that variations in observable physical and social traits engendered a competitive advantage in gaining access to members of the opposite sex (Darwin, 1871). This access
* Urska Dobersek [email protected] 1
Psychology Department, University of Southern Indiana, IN, Evansville, USA
2
School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Memphis, TN, Memphis, USA
3
Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice, University of Maryland, MD, College Park, USA
4
Ross School of Business, University of Michigan, MI, Ann Arbor, USA
5
Psychology Department, Florida State University, FL, Tallahassee, USA
led to increased mating opportunities and enhanced reproductive success. In humans, Darwin’s ideas on sexual selection have engendered myriad studies examining “mate value” (i.e., an individual’s perceived appeal in the sexual marketplace) and gained strong empirical support. It is well-established that relative to human males, females tend to prefer mates that e
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