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Adult Attachment and Long-term Mate Preferences in Iran

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Abstract

Attachment research has investigated the ways in which individual differences in attachment influence relationship outcomes. Research on individual differences in attachment and mating preferences is lacking in non-Western cultures. The current study examined the relationships between attachment dimensions and long-term mate preferences in Iran. A sample of adults (N = 255; 54% women) completed measures of attachment and long-term mate preferences. Anxious attachment was positively correlated with women’s preferences for Education/Intelligence and Religiosity/Chastity, and positively associated with men’s preferences for Kindness/Dependability, Status/Resources, and Religiosity/Chastity in choosing a long-term mate. Avoidant attachment style was not related to long-term mate preferences in either sexes. Findings are discussed in the light of evolutionary perspectives on attachment and human mate preferences. Limitations and future directions are discussed.

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Acknowledgment

We thank Mohammad Atari for his assistance and thoughtful feedback in this study. We are grateful to Farzan Karimi-Malekabadi for his helpful comments on an earlier version of this manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Art Studies, Faculty of Art & Architecture, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran

    Reza Afhami

  2. Department of Psychology, Faculty of Art and Humanities, Tarbiat Modares University, Chamran Highway, Tehran, Iran

    Parisa Rafiee

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  1. Reza Afhami
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  2. Parisa Rafiee
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Correspondence to Reza Afhami.

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Afhami, R., Rafiee, P. Adult Attachment and Long-term Mate Preferences in Iran. Evolutionary Psychological Science 6, 136–141 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40806-019-00221-0

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