Khallad, Y.

Khallad, Y. (2005). Mate selection in Jordan: Effects of sex, socio-economic status, and culture. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships22(2), 155-168.

Author replicated the Buss et al (2001) international survey of mate choices for long-term relationships within an Arab Jordanian cultural context. The findings supported the existence of earlier reported sex differences. The male college students of the Jordanian sample were more interested in possible mates’ good looks and youth than female students. Women, on the other hand, preferred male partners who demonstrated economic capacity and commitment. According to the findings, sex rather than socioeconomic status mainly determined women’s differential preferences for resource- and commitment-related attributes.

According to the survey, Jordanians also regarded the same qualities that have long been viewed as significant in a mate, such as love, kindness, and a charming demeanor. Religiosity and refinement/neatness were among the top priorities for this group of young Jordanians growing in traditional community. The study also confirmed the commonly reported social phenomena of Jordanians’ resistance to marrying divorcees, with men in this sample being particularly averse to this sort of match. The findings of the study were in accord with certain evolutionary and socio-cultural theories of mating behavior.