PERSONALITY AND MATE PREFERENCES - 5 FACTORS IN MATE SELECTION AND MARITAL SATISFACTION

Although personality characteristics figure prominently in what people want in a mate, little is known about precisely which personality cha racteristics are most important, whether men and women differ in their personality preferences, whether individual women or men differ in wh at they want, and whether individuals actually get what they want. To explore these issues, two parallel studies were conducted, one using a sample of dating couples (N = 118) and one using a sample of married couples (N = 216). The five-factor model, operationalized in adjectiva l form, was used to assess personality characteristics via three data sources-self-report, partner report, and independent interviewer repor ts. Participants evaluated on a parallel 40-item instrument their pref erences for the ideal personality characteristics of their mates. Resu lts were consistent across both studies. Women expressed a greater pre ference than men for a wide array of socially desirable personality tr aits. Individuals differed in which characteristics they desired, pref erring mates who were similar to themselves and actually obtaining mat es who embodied what they desired. Finally, the personality characteri stics of one's partner significantly predicted marital and sexual diss atisfaction, most notably when the partner was lower on Agreeableness, Emotional Stability, and Intellect-Openness than desired.