Do the laws of attraction from an evolutionary perspective apply to homosexual people? : a quantitative comparative study

Abstract

Contemporary mate preferences can allow us to make predictions about human evolution. With the rise of different genders and a lack of research and inclusion of homosexual people amongst other sexual identities, comes a need to see how the characteristics that heterosexuals value in a potential mate compare and contrast to homosexual people. The predictions centred on how homosexual males and females valued mate choice preferences; age, physical attractiveness, resourcefulness, chastity and the preferred body type. A quantitative approach was adopted to answer the research question. The hypotheses were tested in data from 41 countries and 6 continents (total N = 417). Results obtained were compared to the findings published by David M. Buss in “Sex differences in human mate preferences: Evolutionary hypotheses tested in 37 cultures”. Demographic data conveyed that the majority of homosexual males and females prefer an older partner. Aspects indicating reproductive capacity (chastity and physical attractiveness) were deemed more important by males from both samples. Resourceful acquisition was given more importance by females against both cohorts. It was also discovered that the most attractive body type to homosexual and heterosexual people underlies evolutionary basis. Discussion compares the results from the two target studies, focusing on the basic psychological mechanisms involved in human mating decisions. This is the first study to study the relationship between sex differences in human mate preference and homosexuality with particular reference to the study used by Buss. Limitations and recommendations of this research are proposed.