Emerging Adults : Mating Orientations and Life Plans

Abstract

In this poster we describe the results of Phase I of a planned three year longitudinal study. During the 2009-2010 academic year, we collected responses from 344 underclassmen enrolled in a 100-level general education course. In addition to measures of their mating orientations and mate preferences, students reported on a variety of plans for the future (as applicable): age of anticipated marriage and child rearing, number of children desired, desired salary and education, and work plans before and after children. We describe men?s and women?s responses to these measures and speculate how response patterns might differ when we assess them in three years.