Weisfeld Glenn E, Weisfeld Carol C
Department of Psychology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48207, USA.
Neuro Endocrinol Lett. 2002 Dec;23 Suppl 4:47-54.
Marriage is universal, and pair bonding is found in other species too with highly dependent young. So marriage functions as a reproductive social arrangement that traditionally involved the extended family. The sexes are not identical in their biological contributions to children's survival, so they seek somewhat different attributes in a mate. Men seek a young, attractive, sexually faithful bride. Women seek a man who is older, taller, and (as in many other species) socially dominant. Both sexes prefer a kind, healthy, attractive, similar mate who is emotionally attached to them. A spouse who fails to maintain sufficiently high mate value is vulnerable to divorce. Infertility and sexual dissatisfaction predict divorce, as does death of a child, but the more children, the stabler the marriage. Cross-cultural data suggest that cruel or subdominant men (e.g., poor providers) and unfaithful women are prone to divorce. Marriages in which the wife dominates the husband in economic contributions, nonverbal behavior, and decision making tend to be less satisfying. In societies in which wives are economically independent of husbands, divorce rates are high. As women's economic power has risen with industrialization, divorce rates have climbed. Economic and fitness considerations also help explain cultural differences in polygyny, age at marriage, arranged marriage, concern with the bride's sexual chastity, and marriage ceremonies. Other factors also affect marital dynamics, such as state subsidies to families, the sex ratio, and influence of the couple's parents.
婚姻是普遍存在的，在其他有着高度依赖幼崽的物种中也能发现配偶关系。因此，婚姻作为一种生殖方面的社会安排，传统上涉及大家庭。两性在对孩子生存的生物学贡献方面并不相同，所以他们在寻找配偶时会寻求一些不同的特质。男性寻找年轻、有吸引力、在性方面忠诚的新娘。女性则寻找年龄较大、身材较高且（如同在许多其他物种中一样）在社会上占主导地位的男性。两性都更喜欢善良、健康、有吸引力、与自己相似且在情感上依恋自己的配偶。未能保持足够高配偶价值的一方容易面临离婚。不育和性方面的不满预示着离婚，孩子的死亡也是如此，但孩子越多，婚姻越稳定。跨文化数据表明，残忍或处于从属地位的男性（例如，挣钱少的人）以及不忠的女性容易离婚。在经济贡献、非语言行为和决策方面妻子占主导地位的婚姻往往满意度较低。在妻子在经济上不依赖丈夫的社会中，离婚率很高。随着工业化进程中女性经济权力的上升，离婚率也随之攀升。经济和健康方面的考虑也有助于解释在一夫多妻制、结婚年龄、包办婚姻、对新娘性贞操的关注以及结婚仪式等方面的文化差异。其他因素也会影响婚姻动态，比如国家对家庭的补贴、性别比例以及夫妻双方父母的影响。
