I find the topic on mate selection very interesting. I took a class on the psychology of evolution and many of things we learned about in this class are relevant to that class. What I find interesting is WHY we actually select the mates we do. Good genes are related to good looks and what people call physically attractive. However, the reason we know how to look for these things is because our ancient ancestors had to discover who was the best mate. In order to do this, women looked for a large, strong man because they had the proper genes to survive. They were best equipped for hunting and protecting, and ultimately would be the best possible chance to continue passing on the genes through generations. Men searched for women with good looks and body structure which were examples of healthy fertility. Its funny that people still look for people with these same traits. We don't realize why we actually find these types of people attractive, its just natural instinct.
The media also promotes this line of thinking. People are taught that a skinny figure and good looks are the desirable traits in a mate. People conform to what the media presents to them. They apply this to their lives as well as their mating rituals. They look for the traits that the media tells them are positive and better than others and try to find it in their future mate. People do not realize that the mate selection is not always a natural occurrence but, in fact, influenced by outside factors such as the media.
Factors of mate selection are also influenced in ways that don't revolve around physical attraction. In this generation factors such as parental influence change the types of people that their offspring are attracted to. If the parents have a healthy relationship and the child likes the way their parents act, then they may be more inclined to like someone who reminds them of their parents. In contrast if the parents don't have a healthy relationship the child may look for a mate opposite of their parents so that they don't grow up to be like them. These things may also happen subconsciously. A person might not know why they are choosing that particular mate, but it may have something to do with their past. These are just some interesting points to think about when your considering your next boyfriend or girlfriend.