Mating Strategy Time Results

Methods

This survey was interested in looking at how preference for short-term or long-term mates related to how people score on Zimbardo's time perspective inventory scale. This used scales:
Long-Term Mating Orientation Scale (LTMO) which measures preferences for short-term and long-term mates (romantic relationships).
Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory (ZTPI) which provides scores on five different time perspective traits:
1. Past Positive: How much do you think about about positive events in your past?
2. Past Negative: How much do you think about negative events in your past?
3. Present Hedonistic: How focused are you on pleasurable things in the present?
4. Present Fatalistic: How focused are you on negative things happening in the present?
5. Future: How much do you think about yourself in the future?
The results of this survey allow people to look at the relationship between time perspectives and their preference for short-term or long-term romantic relationships.

Datasheet of results

Mate Selection Time Perspective July 2022.xlsx

Video describing the datasheet

This is a PDF of the survey that is found on Qualtrics.

Mate Selection Time Perspective Survey Shapiro Duarte.pdf

Figure 1. Long-Term Mate Preference and Future Time Perspective

This scatterplot shows the positive correlation between participants' scores on future time perspective and their preference for long-term mates. It indicates that people who are thinking about their future are also looking for more long-term and stable romantic relationships.

Figure 2. Short-Term Mating Preference and Present Hedonistic Time Perspective

This scatterplot shows the positive correlation between participants' scores on present hedonistic time perspective and their preference for short-term mates. It indicates that people who are more focused on enjoying the present are also looking for short-term romantic relationships.

This is a TED talk by Philip Zimbardo about time perspective

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