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4. Game theory. Recall the famous scene in “The Beautiful Mind” during which mathematician John Nash (played by Russell Crowe) applies game theory to dating. John Nash and his friends all found the same blonde woman to be the most beautiful. However, Nash came to the conclusion that no one would “win” if they all went for her, so they must each go for her brunette friends instead.

Real life doesn’t work quite the same way, but perhaps “equilibrium” or an optimal outcome for all parties can be reached through another method. Researchers sought to examine two forces of human mate selection-selection of “good genes” (e.g., preference for the best) and “self-seeking like” (e.g., preference for self-resemblance).

In support of sexual imprinting, participants who were primed with an image of their own parent (vs

Through a randomly selected sample of 36 couples, they found evidence of both forces. First of all, more attractive men and women were more likely to be together. Second of all, couples resembled each other in facial features. Therefore, people may achieve the best of both worlds by going for someone who looks like them, as self-morphs are uniquely attractive.

5. In addition to preferring one’s own face, people may be unknowingly seeking the face of their parent. Researchers suggest that young children may learn what a desirable partner should look like through a process called sexual imprinting-that is, parents may model for their children what their future partner should look like.

6. Emotional closeness with parents. Importantly, not everyone prefers partners who look like themselves or their parents. Studies have found individual differences in these preferences. Continue reading “To test this idea, researchers subliminally primed heterosexual men and women with a photo of their other-sex parent”