Document Type
Research Paper
Abstract
This study examined age and gender differences in what participants believed made a romantic relationship enduring and satisfying. There were two separate cohorts in the study, including college students and senior citizens. One hundred and twenty-five volunteer participants completed a survey comprising a 21 item list of characteristics. They picked the seven characteristics they found most important and rank ordered them. Our results partially confirmed our hypothesis: elderly women chose characteristics regarding socioeconomic status, elderly men most frequently chose characteristics related to domestication and both and male and female college students selected physical attractiveness more frequently than the elderly participants. These findings are consistent with the evolutionary theory of mate selection.
Publication Date
1999
Journal Title
Conference Proceedings: Undergraduate Social Science Research Conference
Volume
3
Issue
1
First Page
201
Last Page
203
Copyright
©1999 by the University of Northern Iowa
Language
en
File Format
application/pdf
Publisher
University of Northern Iowa
City
Cedar Falls, IA
Recommended Citation
Slocum, Jennifer; Tatman, Tony; Schier, Josh; Feltes, Dan; and Harton, Helen C.
(1999)
"What makes a long-term, satisfying relationship? Beliefs across age and gender lines,"
Conference Proceedings: Undergraduate Social Science Research Conference: Vol. 3:
Iss.
1, Article 33.
Available at:
https://scholarworks.uni.edu/csbsproceedings/vol3/iss1/33
