Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36398165›Full record

ArticleJournal of social and personal relationships2022

Evidence of assortative mating for theory of mind via facial expressions but not language.

Emily Jackson, John Galvin, Varun Warrier, Simon Baron-Cohen, Shanhong Luo, Robin Im Dunbar, Hannah Proctor, Eva Lee, Gareth Richards

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of social and personal relationships, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Autistic-Like Traits in Members of the General Population and Mate Retention Tactics: The Mediation of Attachment Styles and Reproductive Strategies.Evolutionary psychology : an international journal of evolutionary approaches to psychology and behavior
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Emily JacksonSchool of Psychology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4526-7529
John GalvinDepartment of Psychology, Birmingham City University, Birmingham, West Midlands, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4526-7529
Varun WarrierAutism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4532-8571
Simon Baron-CohenAutism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9217-2544
Shanhong LuoDepartment of Psychology, University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, NC, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0022-8967
Robin Im DunbarDepartment of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9982-9702
Hannah ProctorSchool of Psychology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, UK.
Eva LeeSchool of Psychology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, UK.
Gareth RichardsSchool of Psychology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0233-0153

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Assortative mating is a phenomenon in which romantic partners typically resemble each other at a level greater than chance. There is converging evidence that social behaviours are subject to assortative mating, though less is known regarding social cognition. Social functioning requires the ability to identify and understand the mental states of others, i.e., theory of mind. The present study recruited a sample of 102 heterosexual couples via an online survey to test if theory of mind as measured using facial expressions (Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test) or language (Stiller-Dunbar Stories Task) is associated with assortative mating. Results provide evidence of assortative mating for theory of mind via facial expressions, though there was no such effect for theory of mind via language. Assortative mating for theory of mind via facial expressions was not moderated by length of relationship nor by partner similarity in age, educational attainment, or religiosity, all variables relevant to social stratification. This suggests assortative mating for theory of mind via facial expressions is better explained by partners being alike at the start of their relationship (initial assortment) rather than becoming similar through sustained social interaction (convergence), and by people seeking out partners that are like themselves (active assortment) rather than simply pairing with those from similar demographic backgrounds (social homogamy).

Indexed as

Assortative matingBehavioural geneticsEmpathizingEvolutionary psychologyReading the Mind in the Eyes TestSex differencesStiller-Dunbar Stories TaskTheory of mind

Identifiers

PMID36398165
PMCPMC9663490

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.