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Perceived and actual characteristics of parents and partners: A test of a freudian model of mate selection

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Abstract

The present research examined the psychoanalytic theory of mate selection (Freud, 1927) which proposes that people choose romantic partners similar to their oppositesex parents (Epstein & Guttman, 1984). This phenomenon was addressed as both an actual phenomenon that guides partner choice and as a perceived phenomenon regarding people's conceptualizations of their parents and partners. Participants were asked to describe their parents, significant others, and ideal significant others in terms of several personality characteristics. Also, actual parents and partners of subjects described themselves. For four of eight personality variables, subjects' opposite-sex parents scored similarly to their partners. Also, subjects perceived their significant others as similar to their parents across all variables. Relationship satisfaction was significantly related to the degree to which participants perceive similarity between their parents and partners. Implications for understanding how people's parents influence both actual mate selection and romantic partner perception are discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State University of New York atNew Paltz, USA

    Glenn Geher

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  1. Glenn Geher
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Correspondence to Glenn Geher.

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The author expresses his gratitude to the institutions of the University of New Hampshire and Western Oregon University for supporting this research. Additionally, the author expresses his sincere appreciation for the help of the following individuals who all contributed to this research in some way: Rebecca Warner, Kathleen Bauman, Nicole (Nikki) Stoecker, Sara Elizabeth Kay Hubbard, Tracy Beckel, Becky Briggs, Jennifer Palmacci, Cortney Ravenscroft, Allison Schermerhorn, Gregory Tetrault, Vicki Banyard, Kathleen McCartney, Jack Lannamann, and Sally Ward.

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Geher, G. Perceived and actual characteristics of parents and partners: A test of a freudian model of mate selection. Curr Psychol 19, 194–214 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-000-1015-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-000-1015-7

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