Further support for the heroic role in human spousal selection.

Bhogal, MS, and Bartlett, JE (2021). Further support for the heroic role in human mate choice. Evolutionary Behavioral Sciences, 15(3), 299-304. https://doi.org/10.1037/ebs0000230

Commentary

Previous research suggests that altruistic behavior may serve as a mating cue, but studies investigating the role of heroism in mate selection have been few and far between.

This study extends and replicates previous research on the role of heroism in human mate choice.

Participants (N= 276) rated how desirable the target was for short- and long-term relationships with different levels of heroism.

Results showed that men and women reported higher desirability for long-term heroic targets compared to short-term relationships, but that this pattern was more pronounced in women.