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In every culture, adolescents and young adults invest great effort in attracting potential mates and selecting an appropriate partner.

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Researchers have found that three factors are especially important in predicting mate selection for both genders:

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proximity, similarity, and physical attractiveness.

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Proximity and attractiveness seem more important in initiating a relationship,

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while similarity is more important in sustaining a partnership.

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International surveys have found consistent gender differences in heterosexual mate selection.

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Across cultures, men place more value on a potential mate’s physical attractiveness, youthfulness, and health.

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Women place more value on attracting mature, dominant, affluent, powerful mates

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who will make a long term investment in their offspring

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Evolutionary psychologists believe these gender differences can be explained

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by Darwin’s theory of evolution through natural selection and sexual selection.

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Over many generations, men and women who had these preferences

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were more likely to reproduce successfully and pass on their genes.

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Evidence supporting the evolutionary explanation comes from a variety of sources

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including research on men’s visual preferences for female body shape, gender differences in jealousy,

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preferences for erotic literature, and advertisements on dating websites.

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However, the evolutionary perspective has been criticized as being too dependent on “hindsight” explanations

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and failing to consider the role of environment rather than genes in shaping romantic preferences and sexual behavior.

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Critics also charge that genetic explanations of gender differences serve to legitimize current sex-role stereotypes

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instead of promoting possibilities for change