rprising that men tend to go after younger women (Buss, Schmitt 208).As mentioned before, the larger the investment a man puts into one short-term relationship the fewer resources that he has to put in other short-term relationships. An evolved solution for this problem is for a man to avoid women who seek commitment or a large amount of their resources (Buss, Schmitt 208). In long-term relationships, men face two main problems for which they have evolved strategies. These two problems are certainty in paternity and reproductive value. Due to internal conception there is never about a woman’s parenthood. Men can not be 100% sure that the child they are supporting is their own. Men want to make sure that their investments are directed towards their children not those of another man. One strategy or adaptation to this problem is sexual jealousy. Sexual jealousy functions to protect a mate and dissuade intrasexual competitors, which lessens the likelihood of impregnation by another male. It is no surprise that faithfulness is the most valued characteristic in a long-term relationship. The characteristics of faithfulness and sexual loyalty, although not particularly valued in a short-term relationship, are important for males in a long-term relationship. Chastity is also more valued in long-term relationships than in short-term relationships. Another strategy in solving the problem of certainty relies on seeking clues to future sexual conduct (signs of fidelity) rather than absolute sexual abstinence before making a mate selection. This may include abandoning the desire for a woman with a promiscuous nature. Males find that one advantage of a long-term relationship is possibility of monopolizing a woman’s reproductive value for her lifetime. Due to this possibility, men have evolved the preference for women who have high reproductive capacity. This is one reason why men value physical appearance. Age (youthfuln...
