Evolution Of Human Intersexual Competition Tactics Of Mate Attraction Summary

David Buss carried out the study, as well as wrote the research article, The Evolution of Human Intersexual Competition: Tactics of Mate Attraction. This study focused on testing four different hypotheses about human intrasexual competition tactics: first, patterns of intrasexual competition are influenced by mate selection preferences. This is based on the idea that the opposite sex has mate selection preferences for the tactics that have evolutionarily been selected for. Second, men will attempt to attract women through displaying their material sources. This is based on the idea that females find resources to be of great reproductive value, so males show the resources that they have to offer. Third, women will attempt to attract male mates by displaying cues of reproductive value. This is based on the idea that males find fertility in females to be of high value, thus, females display their characteristics that imply they are of high reproductive value. Fourth, the tactics that are more effective in attracting the opposite sex. This is based on the idea that sexual selection has worked to increase the performance frequencies of the tactics that are the most effective because it increases reproductive success. (Buss 1988).

The first two studies obtained data about tactics used by females and males and the sex differences between such tactics. It was found that women tend to enhance their appearance more often, while men tend to display their material resources more often. Both sexes display good humor, sympathy, good grooming and good manners. The third study was meant to test the effectiveness of the tactics that were observed in the first two studies. It was found that women enhancing their appearances did increase the effectiveness of attracting mates, as well as males displaying their material resources. (Buss