TY - JOUR
T1 - Parental choice
T2 - What parents want in a son-in-law and a daughter-in-law across 67 pre-industrial societies
AU - Apostolou, Menelaos
PY - 2010/11
Y1 - 2010/11
N2 - Parents are influential over mate choice, and in most human societies they choose spouses for their offspring according to their own preferences. However, surprising little is known about the qualities which make a woman desirable as a daughter-in-law and a man desirable as a son-in-law. Using evidence from 67 societies such traits are identified and three hypotheses are tested: first, the hypothesis is tested that parents desire in an in-law qualities which are beneficial to them and their kin. Second, it is hypothesized that such preferences are contingent upon the sex of the in-law, as traits are weighted differently in a daughter-in-law and in a son-in-law. The third hypothesis tested is that parental preferences vary according to the subsistence type of a given society, as traits are valued differently in agropastoral societies and foraging societies. The evidence presented here provides support for all three hypotheses.
AB - Parents are influential over mate choice, and in most human societies they choose spouses for their offspring according to their own preferences. However, surprising little is known about the qualities which make a woman desirable as a daughter-in-law and a man desirable as a son-in-law. Using evidence from 67 societies such traits are identified and three hypotheses are tested: first, the hypothesis is tested that parents desire in an in-law qualities which are beneficial to them and their kin. Second, it is hypothesized that such preferences are contingent upon the sex of the in-law, as traits are weighted differently in a daughter-in-law and in a son-in-law. The third hypothesis tested is that parental preferences vary according to the subsistence type of a given society, as traits are valued differently in agropastoral societies and foraging societies. The evidence presented here provides support for all three hypotheses.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=78249267929&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1348/000712609X480634
DO - 10.1348/000712609X480634
M3 - Article
C2 - 20021710
AN - SCOPUS:78249267929
SN - 2044-8295
VL - 101
SP - 695
EP - 704
JO - British Journal of Psychology
JF - British Journal of Psychology
IS - 4
ER -