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Pictures of abstract art (control condition) and male/female nudes (experimental condition) are available upon request.

The main goal of the current project is to execute an independent (close) replication of Kenrick, Gutierres, & Goldbergs’ (1989) findings from Study 2. Consistent with research on gender differences in mating behaviors, Kenrick et al. (1989) found that males who are exposed to centerfolds report less love for their partner than those exposed to abstract art, whereas females’ ratings are not influenced by the type of prior stimuli. We will execute a high-powered (estimated power of .95) independent replication using approximately the same measures and manipulations. In the current study, attempts were made to minimize differences between the original study and the replication, however, several differences are worth noting. First, in the original study participants came into the lab in same-sex groups. However, in the current study participants will complete the questionnaires online through Amazon’s Mechanical Turk (MTurk) and will be advised to be alone when they complete the study. Given that the original research was conducted in the late 1980’s, we are also using updated pictures of abstract art (control condition) and male/female nudes (experimental condition) as suggested by the original researcher. With regards to measures, no demographics were reported in the original manuscript, but we included a standard demographic questionnaire. The original manuscript also indicated using suspicion questions, though no exact items were reported. Therefore, the 3-item suspicion questionnaire included in our study was compiled by the current researchers, and may not reflect the exact wording used in the original study. Lastly, we added two attention check questions which were not included in the original study, though such checks are typical when using an MTurk sample. The primary goal is to determine whether Kenrick et al.’s (1989) findings generalize to a new sample of individuals, hence contributing to the question of whether the original findings reflect reproducible knowledge.

A previous unpublished study found positive associations between jealousy (cognitive, emotional, behavioural) and the Dark Triad (narcissism, Machiavellianism, psychopathy) (Raheb, Atkinson, Chin, Vernon, submitted). The present study investigates whether self-esteem and entitlement mediate these positive relationships. To test this question, 453 participants (311 females, 140 males, 2 other) between the age of 17 to 81 years (M = 33.19, SD = 10.32) completed the Multidimensional Jealousy Scale, the Short-D3, the Psychological Entitlement Scale, and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. One model showed significant mediation: higher psychopathy was related to higher cognitive jealousy, and this relationship was significantly mediated by lower self-esteem. Therefore, individuals higher in psychopathy may be especially prone to cognitive jealousy if they have low self-esteem. These findings identify dimensions of the Dark Triad and other personality traits that influence the propensity to experience types of jealousy.

There is currently a debate in literature pertaining to the degree to which ideal mate preferences influence actual mate selection and relationship initiation. Some research show that ideals influence relationship initiation, whereas other research suggests that ideals do not influence relationship initiation. The goal of this thesis is to resolve this debate. Specifically, the present study investigates the extent to which individuals initiate romantic relationships with others who more closely match their ideal mate preferences. To test this question, 450 single participants’ ideal mate preferences and perceptions of themselves on across three categories of traits were measured via online surveys over a six-month period. If participants became involved in a romantic relationship during the six months, they were asked to provide the contact information for their new partners and these partners were then provided an opportunity to join the study. If they agreed, they were asked to provide self-evaluations on the same three categories of traits. Comparisons between the original participant’s ideal mate preferences and their partner’s self-perceptions will be analyzed. This will determine whether individuals initiate relationship with others who have greater consistency with their ideals and their partner’s self-perceptions.