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Chapter 30 - Mating Intelligence

from Part VI - Kinds of Intelligence

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 June 2012

By
Glenn Geher  and
Scott Barry Kaufman
Edited by
Robert J. Sternberg  and
Scott Barry Kaufman
Robert J. Sternberg
Affiliation:
Oklahoma State University
Scott Barry Kaufman
Affiliation:
New York University
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Summary

The unification of the fields of mating and intelligence, implied in the mating intelligence (MI) construct, provides such a new angle on many areas of the behavioral sciences. The cognitive mating mechanisms of MI include both species-typical and individual-differences features. While evolutionary psychology has tended to focus mainly on behavioral displays of physical qualities such as strength, virility, and athleticism, the MI construct focuses on psychological qualities (mental fitness indicators) such as confidence, kindness, creativity, intelligence, resourcefulness, status, humor, and mental health. Awareness of MI in the larger society should increase our appreciation of psychological and mental qualities in a potential mate in addition to purely physical qualities. Further, sex education in the schools can be improved by being informed by the MI framework. MI construct can allow us to come toward a more complete understanding of human intelligence.

Keywords

elementary cognitive tasksinformation processing speedinspection timewhite matter lesionsreaction timeintelligent actionsJensen's study
Type
Chapter
Information
The Cambridge Handbook of Intelligence , pp. 603 - 620
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2011

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