Reproduction Lecture - Rebecca Moya

I thought it was interesting to learn about some of the concepts and beliefs behind reproduction and attraction because these are things that we are often exposed to but don't tend to study or analyze. For example, the concept of mate value is defined as features in another person that make him or her desirable as a romantic partner. Some of these traits include ambition, loyalty, attractiveness, etc. While people usually consider the traits of another person before dating, many people probably wouldn't know that there is a mate value inventory in which they could measure the value of these traits. I also thought that the good gene hypothesis was interesting. In this hypothesis, physical features and beauty indicate that a person has good genes for other traits such as intelligence, health, reproduction, parenting, etc. Similarly, men tend to prefer attractive mates because it represents fertility. Females choose mates who are successful, ambitious, and are strong financially because these traits will help to create a successful family life. It's interesting to learn about these characteristics which represent traditional gender roles in our society. While these gender roles and the motivation behind choosing a mate may have shifted in recent times, attractiveness and ambition are traits that people still tend to be drawn towards in a potential mate. Also, the structural powerless hypothesis suggests that females prefer mates with stronger financial prospects and ambitions because females tend to have less economic opportunities than men. While economic opportunities for females have increased in recent years, I think that people do tend to prefer mates with stronger finances and ambitions. However, males may also seek out mates with these traits as well now. Lastly, I also didn't know that there was a term for attempts to attract a person who is already in a relationship. This is called mate poaching and it occurs in 60% of men and 40% of women. I've seen this in real life and noticed that people don't always care if a person is in a relationship. They see it as a challenge and want to attract the other person, despite the morality behind it.