The Science of Mating

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Older women will be best off prioritising compatibility while dating, rather than "Consensual Mate Value."

With online dating, it helps to get specifics into your profile to resonate with the right person.

De-prioritise choosing men with the highest Consensual Mate Value.

Get off the app and meet up in person as soon as possible.

In my previous post, I explained the two types of “Mate Value” that affect attraction.

There’s “Consensual Mate Value” — or the immediate attractiveness a person has when you don’t know them, and then there’s “Unique Mate Value,” aka compatibility, that becomes more important in someone’s attractiveness assessment of you as they get to know you, or you them.

I pointed out that for older women in particular, it makes sense to meet potential partners in contexts that prioritise the compatibility element of mate value.

The obvious way to do this is to meet people in places where you can get to know them over time, like in clubs, classes, activities, or a workplace where you meet regularly. This means you can get to know each other’s idiosyncrasies and potentially increase attraction to, and desire for, each other — if there is compatibility between you.

It is worth noting that research by Kevin Kniffin & David Sloan Wilson of SUNY at Binghamton has demonstrated that when we get to know and like someone for their non-physical traits, e.g., personality or intelligence, we rate their physical........

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