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Selection criteria in the search for a sperm donor: behavioural traits versus physical appearance

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  • Stephen Whyte
  • Benno Torgler

Abstract

Despite extensive literature on female mate choice, empirical evidence on women’s mating preferences in the search for a sperm donor is scarce, even though this search, by isolating a male’s genetic impact on offspring from other factors like paternal investment, offers a naturally ”controlled” research setting. In this paper, we work to fill this void by examining the rapidly growing online sperm donor market, which is raising new challenges by offering women novel ways to seek out donor sperm. We not only identify individual factors that influence women’s mating preferences but find strong support for the proposition that behavioural traits (inner values) are more important in these choices than physical appearance (exterior values). We also report evidence that physical factors matter more than resources or other external cues of material success, perhaps because the relevance of good character in donor selection is part of a female psychological adaptation throughout evolutionary history. The lack of evidence on a preference for material resources, on the other hand, may indicate the ability of peer socialization and better access to resources to rapidly shape the female decision process. Overall, the paper makes useful contributions to both the literature on human behaviour and that on decision-making in extreme and highly important situations. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media New York 2015

Suggested Citation

  • Stephen Whyte & Benno Torgler, 2015. "Selection criteria in the search for a sperm donor: behavioural traits versus physical appearance," Journal of Bioeconomics, Springer, vol. 17(2), pages 151-171, July.
  • Handle: RePEc:kap:jbioec:v:17:y:2015:i:2:p:151-171
    DOI: 10.1007/s10818-014-9193-9
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Becker, Gay & Butler, Anneliese & Nachtigall, Robert D., 2005. "Resemblance talk: A challenge for parents whose children were conceived with donor gametes in the US," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 61(6), pages 1300-1309, September.
    2. Ada Ferrer-i-Carbonell & Paul Frijters, 2004. "How Important is Methodology for the estimates of the determinants of Happiness?," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 114(497), pages 641-659, July.
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    1. Whyte, Stephen & Torgler, Benno & Harrison, Keith L., 2016. "What women want in their sperm donor: A study of more than 1000 women’s sperm donor selections," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 23(C), pages 1-9.
    2. Stephen Whyte & Benno Torgler, 2016. "Assortative mating in the online market for sperm donation," Journal of Bioeconomics, Springer, vol. 18(3), pages 169-194, October.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Online sperm donor market; Informal donation; Donation recipients mating preferences; Mate choice; Sexual selection; Evolutionary psychology; J13; D10; Z00;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
    • D10 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - General
    • Z00 - Other Special Topics - - General - - - General

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