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The mating sociometer : a regulatory mechanism for mating aspirations

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journal contribution
posted on 2017-12-06, 00:00 authored by Phillip Kavanagh, B Ellis, S Robins
Two studies (Ns = 80 and 108) tested hypotheses derived from Kirkpatrick and Ellis’ (2001) extension and application of sociometer theory to mating aspirations. Experiences of social acceptance-rejection by attractive opposite-sex confederates were experimentally manipulated, and the impact of these manipulations on self-esteem, mating aspirations, and friendship aspirations was assessed. Results indicated that social acceptance-rejection by members of the opposite-sex altered mating aspirations; that the causal link between social acceptance-rejection and mating aspirations was mediated by changes in state self-esteem; and that the impact of social acceptance-rejection by members of opposite-sex was specific to mating aspirations and did not generalize to levels of aspiration in approaching potential sex-sex friendships. This research supports a conceptualization of a domain-specific mating sociometer, which functions to calibrate mating aspirations in response to experiences of romantic acceptance and rejection.

Funding

Category 1 - Australian Competitive Grants (this includes ARC, NHMRC)

History

Volume

99

Issue

1

Start Page

120

End Page

132

Number of Pages

13

ISSN

0022-3514

Location

Washington, DC

Publisher

American Psychological Association

Language

en-aus

Peer Reviewed

  • Yes

Open Access

  • No

External Author Affiliations

Faculty of Sciences, Engineering and Health; Institute for Health and Social Science Research (IHSSR); University of Arizona; University of Canterbury;

Era Eligible

  • Yes

Journal

Journal of personality and social psychology.