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Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary Psychology
  • Social Psychology
  • Human Mating Behavior

Background:

  • Mate preference research traditionally emphasizes desirable traits (dealmakers) over undesirable traits (dealbreakers).
  • Understanding dealbreakers is crucial for a comprehensive view of mate selection, as preferences aim to both maximize benefits and minimize costs.
  • Dealbreakers significantly influence relationship formation and maintenance across various contexts.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify and examine relationship dealbreakers and their functions across different relationship contexts (sexual, romantic, friendships).
  • To investigate how dealbreakers vary based on relationship duration, sex, mate value, and mating strategies.
  • To compare the impact of dealbreakers versus dealbreakers on relationship decisions, informed by prospect and error management theories.

Main Methods:

  • Conducted six studies with over 6,500 participants.
  • Examined associations between dealbreakers and personality traits, lifestyle factors, and mating strategies.
  • Analyzed how dealbreakers function in short-term versus long-term relationships and across sexes.
  • Investigated the influence of mate value and mating strategies on dealbreaker prevalence.
  • Compared the negative weight of dealbreakers against the positive weight of dealmakers.

Main Results:

  • Dealbreakers were linked to undesirable personality traits, unhealthy lifestyles, and divergent mating strategies.
  • Dealbreakers were more influential in long-term relationships and stronger for women in short-term contexts.
  • Higher mate value correlated with more dealbreakers, while less-restricted mating strategies correlated with fewer dealbreakers.
  • Participants perceived dealbreakers more negatively than dealmakers, especially women and those in committed relationships.

Conclusions:

  • Findings highlight the adaptive significance of dealbreakers in human mate preferences and social cognition.
  • Dealbreakers play a critical role in minimizing relationship costs and maximizing adaptive outcomes.
  • Attentional biases towards dealbreakers support evolutionary theories of mate selection and risk management.