Mate Copying

I had never thought about the concept of mate copying before reading the article by Place, but it makes a lot of sense. Mate copying is the idea that one’s selection of a mate can be influenced by another’s search. This idea ties in well with past topics that were discussed in class, such as homophily and the power law theory that the rich get richer. For example, with homophily, people tend to have similar thoughts and ideas as those that they associate with. People have always been heavily influenced by those around them, and it is no different with mate copying. This means that if my friends keep talking about how great a certain girl is, I will most likely think the same thing. In terms of the study, if I see a girl on a speed date and all the dates seem interested in her, it is natural that I would become more attracted to her as well. The perceived notion is that she is interesting to talk to and has something good to offer as a mate. This concept ties in very well with the power law theory that the rich get richer. The more that a female is perceived as an attractive mate, the more that other males will come to find her as an attractive mate as well. I found it interesting how well this concept relates to other ideas we have studied during this semester.