“Weighting” to find the right person: compensatory trait integrating versus alternative models to assess mate value

An overall evaluation of potential relationship partners (mate value) is fundamental to numerous key lifetime decisions, but how people integrate the diverse component traits of mate value remains poorly understood. Three within-subjects studies (N = 190) contrast multiple models of mate value trait integration, including both compensatory and non-compensatory decision-making strategies. A weighted additive model outperformed equal weight and...