We found a match
Your institution may have rights to this item. Sign in to continue.
- Title
Parental characteristics and partner choice: some evidence for oedipal imprinting.
- Authors
Wilson, Glenn D.; Barrett, Paul T.; Wilson, G D; Barrett, P T
- Abstract
Do girls fall in love with an image of their father? This study tested the hypothesis that, in choosing a partner, people tend to replicate the physical and mental attributes of their opposite-sex parent more than of the same-sex parent. A sample of 314 women, mostly in their late teens and describing themselves as ‘in love’, supplied details of their boyfriends and parents. A tendency for the boyfriend's eye colour to match that of the father more than of the mother was found, as well as a tendency for girls to replicate the age and dominance relationships of the parental partnership in their own relationship. These effects were very small and of marginal significance.
- Subjects
MATE selection; WOMEN; PARENT-child relationships; EYE color; HYPOTHESIS; MAN-woman relationships; SOCIAL dominance; DECISION making; MARRIAGE; PSYCHOANALYTIC interpretation
- Publication
Journal of Biosocial Science, 1987, Vol 19, p157
- ISSN
0021-9320
- Publication type
journal article
- DOI
10.1017/S0021932000016758