Who Dates Who? Using Latent Profiles to Characterize Adolescent’s Mate Value

Abstract

Do the popular kids really get all the dates? Are student athletes actually the most desirable? Is being kind more attractive than being powerful? My study aims to confront these romantic stereotypes by identifying distinct profiles of adolescent mate value using a person-centered approach and peer nomination data. Grounded in evolutionary theory and drawing on Cheng’s prestige vs dominance pathways to social influence and Cillessen’s agentic-communal social strategies framework, my thesis demonstrates how different peer-perceived characteristics shape romantic desirability in adolescence. Using latent profile analysis (LPA), data were analyzed from 473 adolescents aged 14-18 (M= 15.9; SD=1.17) who completed peer nomination surveys. The analysis focused on nominations for "Who would you most like to go on a date with?" alongside indicators of: attractiveness, popularity, likeability, kindness, athleticism, humour, and bullying. Three distinct profiles of perceived mate-value emerged from the data: 1) Modal- average across all traits 2) Well-liked – high in athleticism, kindness and likeability and 3) Popular– high in popularity, humour and bullying My findings suggest that romantic desirability is heavily influenced by status-based traits and social visibility, and many romantic stereotypes are reflected in real peer dynamics.