Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 12, 2026
07:02
Measuring and Altering Mating Drive in Male Drosophila melanogaster
Published on: February 15, 2017
The mating sociometer: a regulatory mechanism for mating aspirations
Phillip S Kavanagh1, Sarah C Robins, Bruce J Ellis
1Department of Psychology, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand. p.kavanagh@cqu.edu.au
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
|June 23, 2010
Summary
Social rejection or acceptance by potential mates influences mating aspirations, mediated by self-esteem. This effect is specific to romantic goals, not friendships, supporting the mating sociometer theory.
Area of Science:
- Social Psychology
- Evolutionary Psychology
- Relationship Science
Background:
- Sociometer theory posits self-esteem reflects social acceptance.
- Kirkpatrick and Ellis extended this to mating aspirations.
- The role of social feedback in romantic goal calibration requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To test the application of sociometer theory to mating aspirations.
- To examine the impact of social rejection and acceptance on mating and friendship aspirations.
- To investigate the mediating role of self-esteem in these effects.
Main Methods:
- Two experimental studies with 80 and 108 participants.
- Manipulation of social rejection/acceptance experiences with attractive opposite-sex confederates.
- Assessment of changes in self-esteem, mating aspirations, and friendship aspirations.
Main Results:
- Social rejection/acceptance by opposite-sex individuals significantly altered mating aspirations.
- State self-esteem changes mediated the relationship between social feedback and mating aspirations.
- Effects were specific to mating aspirations and did not extend to same-sex friendship aspirations.
Conclusions:
- Supports a domain-specific mating sociometer that calibrates aspirations based on romantic feedback.
- Highlights the crucial role of self-esteem in regulating mating goals.
- Demonstrates the specificity of social feedback effects on relationship aspirations.
Related Concept Videos
01:06Natural Selection and Mating Preferences
The principle of natural selection posits that organisms better adapted to their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce. This principle is closely intertwined with mating preferences, a key aspect of sexual selection, which evolutionary psychologists believe is driven by instincts to propagate one's genes. Such instincts significantly influence mating behaviors and preferences between genders.
Females, due to their biological roles in conception, pregnancy, and nursing, inherently...
Females, due to their biological roles in conception, pregnancy, and nursing, inherently...
01:20Mate Choice
Mate choice—the decision about whom to mate with—is a type of natural selection, since animals must reproduce to pass down their genes. Mate choice is also called intersexual selection because the behavior occurs between the sexes.
01:28Yeast Signaling
Yeasts are single-celled organisms, but unlike bacteria, they are eukaryotes (cells with a nucleus). Cell signaling in yeast is similar to signaling in other eukaryotic cells. A ligand, such as a protein or a small molecule released from a yeast cell, attaches to a receptor on the cell surface. The binding stimulates second-messenger kinases to activate or inactivate transcription factors that further regulate gene expression. Many of the yeast intracellular signaling cascades have similar...
01:29Close Relationships and Culture
Culture shapes how people approach attraction, choose partners, and build long-term relationships. While some preferences in mate selection appear consistent across cultures, such as men valuing physical attractiveness and women emphasizing financial resources, cultural contexts influence how these preferences are expressed and prioritized. Marriage extends beyond romantic ideals in many societies and is deeply embedded in social, economic, and religious frameworks.The Role of Culture in Mate...
02:12Relationship Formation
What do you think is the single most influential factor in determining with whom you become friends and whom you form romantic relationships? You might be surprised to learn that the answer is simple: the people with whom you have the most contact. This most important factor is proximity. You are more likely to be friends with people you have regular contact with. For example, there are decades of research that shows that you are more likely to become friends with people who live in your dorm,...
01:28Factors Influencing Attraction IV: Reciprocity
Reciprocity in attraction is fundamental to social and romantic relationships, shaping how individuals form and maintain connections. The psychological principle underlying this phenomenon is that people tend to like those who express liking toward them. Balance theory supports this tendency, suggesting that mutual attraction fosters psychological harmony, whereas one-sided affection leads to discomfort and cognitive dissonance.The Psychological Mechanisms Behind ReciprocityWhen individuals...