Abstract: A lot of studies find that females, especially non-human females, do not select male partners independently. This phenomenon is termed as mate-choice copying. Mate-choice copying refers to the phenomenon that the probability of a target partner being chose or rejected is influenced by the attitudes of other persons of the same sex. Therefore, mate-choice copying is considered to be a non-independent form of mate selection strategy, which is affected by the additional information provided by individuals of the same sex in the process of sexual selection. This mate selection method is useful to reduce the loss caused by poor mate selection when information is limited, and it can also save a lot of time and energy during mate selection. However, previous studies disagree about whether males’ mate-choice copying would occur. Mating motive is a psychological ideology, in which an individual wants to establish an intimate relationship with the partner of the opposite sex. The activation of mating motive can change people's behavioral decisions. For example, when males’ mating motives are activated, they will show more competitive behaviors, lower risk aversion behaviors, and more risk-taking behaviors. At the same time, the activation of mating motives also strengthens males’ attentional biases to highly attractive females’ faces. Therefore, the present study mainly focused on the influence of mating motive and the levels of facial attraction of a potential partner on the occurrence of mate-choice copying of males. Experiment 1 aimed to investigate whether the mating motives are activated or not would have different influences on the mate-choice copying between different sexes. Experiment 2 was designed to explore the effects of the different levels of female facial attraction and activation of mating motive on males’ mate-choice copying. The results show as follows: (1) Females’ mate choices are usually influenced by the attitudes of others from the same sex group, regardless of their mating motives are activated or not. However, males’ mate choices are often independent of other males’ choices when their mating motives are not activated. (2) When mating motives are activated, males’ mate choice is more susceptible to the influence of other male’s attitudes. They will choose the female selected by other males, and rejected the female rejected by other males. However, this influence of other males’ attitudes in such case on males’ mate choices is limited to the situation when facial attraction of female is in low and middle level. When the potential spouse or girl friend’s facial attraction is in high level, even though males’ mating motives are activated, they are still attracted by the highly attractive female regardless of other males’ attitudes. Our results provide a new explanation for the disputes about the differences of mate-choice copying between different genders. In detail, there is mate-choice copying with females’ mate choices for the needs of rapid decision and risk reduction of sexual selection. However, males’ mate-choice copying is usually dependent on complicated factors. The effects of mating motive activation on male’s and female’s mate-choice copying, and the modulating effect of females’ facial attraction on males’ mate-choice copying were discussed.

Key words: mate-choice copying, mating motive, facial attraction

摘要： 考察择偶动机启动下男女的择偶复制发生情况，及目标面孔吸引力对男性择偶复制的调节作用。结果：(1)女性易发生择偶复制；(2)男性的择偶复制会受择偶动机启动的影响，但这种影响仅限于目标面孔吸引力处于中、低水平时。结论：男性在特定情景中可发生择偶复制，这是更为复杂的、经多种信息评估的结果。

关键词: 择偶复制, 择偶动机, 面孔吸引力