The Effect of Mate Value Discrepancy on Hypothetical Engagement Ring Purchases

• Published in: Evolutionary psychological science 2019-03, Vol.5 (1), p.22-28
• Main Authors: Cloud, Jaime M., Taylor, Madalyn H.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Behavioral Science and Psychology; Females; Gender differences; Men; Paternity; Personality and Social Psychology; Psychology; Research Article; Women
• ISSN: 2198-9885; 2198-9885
• DOI: 10.1007/s40806-018-0156-6

Few material goods entail as high a cost and carry as little practical value as an engagement ring. Despite their obvious signaling value, engagement ring expenditures have rarely been studied. The purpose of the current study was to experimentally manipulate a discrepancy in the physical attractiveness of romantic partners to determine its effect on hypothetical engagement ring purchases. We predicted that (1) men would purchase larger, more expensive engagement rings when imagining themselves mated to a more attractive rather than less attractive woman and (2) women would desire larger, more expensive engagement rings when imagining themselves mated to a less attractive rather than more attractive man. We further predicted a positive correlation between women’s self-ratings of attractiveness and the size and cost of the engagement ring women chose, regardless of target attractiveness. Results supported all three predictions. Data about the cost and quality of actual engagement rings was also collected to explore their correlations with age and attractiveness discrepancies in real-world couples; however, we failed to find a consistent pattern whereby more desirable women received more expensive and higher quality engagement rings. Results from the experimental portion of the current study show that men invest greater resources in attractive women and that increased resource investment can compensate for decreased physical attractiveness within the domain of women’s mate preferences.