Comparison on mate selection criteria between China and the United States:

Content analysis of personal advertisements in Tianjin versus in Boston

Yue Guo-an Chen Hao Zhang Yanyan Department of Social Psychology, Nankai University, Tianjin, P.R.C.

1. Research Background

Personal advertisements provide social psychologists with a rich data source to study the influence of all kinds of variables on mate selection criteria and strategies. The purpose is to explore the psychological characteristics and mechanism of people who use personal ads, a relatively recent unconventional way ， to select mates; reveal the regularity and predict the behaviors of human beings.

Since the nineteen seventies of last century, there has been three main theories on the personal ads study: evolutionary theory, social learning theory and social exchange theory.

Evolutionary Theory （ Trivers,1972; Buss, 1985 ） Social Exchange Theory （ Cameron, Oskamp & Sparks,1977 ） Social Learning Theory （ Hayes,1995 ）

2. Research Approach

2.1. Samples

404 personal advertisements samples in Tianjin (182 males and 222 females)

(Newspapers “Night Daily” and “ Daily Update” in Tianjin, Jan. 2004 to May 2004)

432 personal advertisements samples in Boston (182 males and 250 females)

(Newspapers “Boston Newspaper” and “Boston Herald Newspaper” in Boston, Dec. 2003 to April 2004.)

2.2. Approach

Content Analysis

(Cameron,1977;Greenlees,1994 ； Cicerello,1995 ； Koziel, 2003)

3.1. Self-descriptions of Tianjin advertisers (top 15)

3. Results

The same items of Tianjin male & female advertiser’s self-descriptions (in top 15)

Goodness Good Temperament Femininity Good Bodytype Family Condition

Female 37.84 ％ 36.04 ％ 22.97 ％ 22.07 ％ 13.51 ％

Age Marital Status Height Occupation Education Feature Housing Healthy Moral Have/no Kids

Male 100 ％ 100 ％ 96.70% 81.32% 62.09% 62.09% 58.79% 43.41% 32.97% 30.77%

Female 99.55 ％ 99.10 ％ 91.44 ％ 66.22 ％ 64.86 ％ 58.56 ％ 16.67 ％ 13.96 ％ 25.68 ％ 33.33 ％T test v. .905 1.283 2.192 3.444 -.576 .720 9.758 6.988 1.609 -.548

P .366 .200 .029 .001 .565 .472 .000 .000 .108 .584

The different items of Tianjin male & female advertiser’s self-descriptions (in top 15)

Financial Security Steady Job Non-smoker/non-alcohol Responsible Affectionate

Male 39.01% 21.98% 17.58% 17.03% 14.29%

3.2. Self-descriptions of Boston advertisers (top 15)

The same items of Boston male & female advertiser’s self-descriptions (in top 15)

Good Feature

Female 64.40 ％

Age Height Education Ethnicity Marital Status Occupation Interests Religion Intelligent Athletic Friendly Humorous Enjoying-life Artsy

Male 100 ％ 100 ％ 98.90 ％ 94.51 ％ 92.31 ％ 89.01 ％ 73.63 ％ 73.63 ％ 63.74 ％ 54.95 ％ 50.55 ％ 47.25 ％ 38.46 ％ 31.87 ％Female 100 ％ 100 ％ 98.40 ％ 97.60 ％ 95.20 ％ 76.80 ％ 95.20 ％ 80.80 ％ 60.00 ％ 39.20 ％ 66.40 ％ 50.14 ％ 28.00 ％ 27.20 ％T test v. .439 -1.683 -1.247 3.291 -6.714 -1.773 .7873 .276 -3.352 -.645 2.303 1.053

P .661 .093 .213 .001 .000 .077 .432 .001 .001 .519 .022 .293

The different items of Boston male & female advertiser’s self-descriptions (in top 15)

Financial Security

Male 54.95 ％

3.3. Tianjin advertiser’s requests for potential partner (top 15)

The same requests of Tianjin male & female advertiser’s for potential partner (in top 15)

Financial Security Housing Responsible Successful Career Enterprising

Female Request 42.34 ％ 8.38 ％ 24.32 ％ 15.32 ％ 14.41 ％

Age Good Feature Marital Status Height Moral Healthy Education Competent Steady Job Family-Oriented

Male R 51.10 ％ 40.66 ％ 32.97 ％ 26.92 ％ 22.53 ％ 22.53 ％ 18.68 ％ 9.89 ％ 15.93 ％ 8.24 ％Female R 54.95 ％ 13.96 ％ 25.23 ％ 39.19 ％ 22.52 ％ 21.62 ％ 29.28 ％ 24.77 ％ 18.92 ％ 15.77 ％ T test v. -.772 6.371 1.713 -2.611 .001 .218 -2.477 -3.933 -.783 -2.294

P .441 .000 .087 .009 .999 .828 .014 .000 .434 .022

The different requests of Tianjin male & female advertiser’s for potential partner (in top 15)

Goodness Femininity Traditional No-kid Good-Bodytype

Male Request 33.52 ％ 19.23 ％ 12.64 ％ 9.89 ％ 9.89 ％

3.4. Boston advertiser’s requests for potential partner (top 15)

The same requests of Boston male & female advertiser’s for potential partner (in top 15)

Financial Security Religion Occupation

Female Request 39.20 ％ 36.80 ％ 21.77 ％

Age Height Education Shared-Interested Ethnicity Humorous Intelligent Communicative Honest Marital Status Enjoying-life Athletic

Male 100 ％ 80.22 ％ 57.14 ％ 47.25 ％ 45.05 ％ 38.46 ％ 23.08 ％ 23.08 ％ 19.78 ％ 18.68 ％ 17.58 ％ 16.48 ％Female 98.40 ％ 80.00 ％ 80.00 ％ 35.20 ％ 66.40 ％ 64.80 ％ 35.20 ％ 26.40 ％ 20.00 ％ 37.60 ％ 20.00 ％ 21.60 ％T test v. 1.716 .056 -5.289 2.535 -4.524 -5.602 -2.730 -.786 -.056 -4.334 -.632 -1.326

P 0.087 .955 .000 .012 .000 .000 .007 .432 .955 .000 .528 .185

The different requests of Boston male & female advertiser’s for potential partner (in top 15)

Good Feature Financially Independent Good Bodytype

Male Request 26.37 ％ 23.08 ％ 16.48 ％

3.5. Mean Age Differences between Tianjin advertiser and potential partner

3.6. Mean Age Differences between Boston advertiser and potential partner

4. Conclusions

1.When self-describing, the male advertisers both in Tianjin and in Boston showed a lot about their financial conditions as an economic security and their commitment to marriage and family, as well as the women made a request for these qualifications.

2.When self-describing, the female advertisers both in Tianjin and in Boston mentioned more about good feature and body type. And the men asked for these qualifications too.

3.People in Tianjin cared more about these qualifications mentioned above than people in Boston.

4. People in Boston showed and were requested more of recreational and mental characteristics than Tianjin people.

5. Gender distinction is more significant in Tianjin people than in Boston people. 6. Both in Tianjin and in Boston, the older a male advertiser was, the more willingly he te

nded to choose a younger female. However, it was not significant for the female. 7. People in Boston accepted a much wider range on their potential partners’ age than pe

ople in Tianjin.

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