Emergent patterns of mate choice in human populations (2003)

Abstract

We present a model of human mate choice that shows how realistic population-level patterns of assortative mating can self-organize and emerge from the behavior of individuals using simple mate search rules. In particular, we model plausible psychological mechanisms for mate search and choice in a realistic social ecology. Through individual interactions, patterns emerge that match those observed in typical human societies, particularly with regard to correlated quality levels within couples, distributions of the ages at which couples mate, and effects of skewed sex ratios on these mating age distributions.

Bibliographic entry

Simao, J., & Todd, P. M. (2003). Emergent patterns of mate choice in human populations. Artificial Life, 9, 403-417. (Full text)

Miscellaneous

Publication year 2003
Document type: Article
Publication status: Published
External URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1162/106454603322694843 View
Categories: Mate Choice
Keywords: assortative matingcourtshipemergencehuman mate choice

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