Research on mate selection has taken two approaches. One approach is to study mate selection criteria, asking people how important various characteristics are in selecting a mate. The other approach is to study matching between spouses in married couples.

From an evolutionary psychology perspective, it has been argued that men are seeking women who are physically attractive, as an indicator of fertility, while women are seeking men of high status, to support themselves and their offspring (Buss, 1989). Yet the mean ratings in Buss’s data indicate that both physical attractiveness and social status were rated only moderately important for both men and women across thirty-seven countries, even though there were gender differences.