College Students - Partner Preference Survey

    Hi!  My name is Kristi Young, and I am a graduate student at New
Mexico State University working to complete a degree in Marriage and
Family Therapy.  I am currently working on my thesis in which I am
exploring mate selection and how individuals choose partners.
Because most of the scientific research in the field of mate
selection has been carried out through studying responses of
heterosexual individuals, I am interested in how gay, lesbian,
bisexual, and transgender individuals decide (1) which individuals
they would like to date in the short-term, and (2) what qualities are
of interest regarding long-term, committed partners.  To explore
these issues, I have posted a survey online, with the hopes of
gathering information from heterosexual and homosexual college
students.  I will then perform data analyses on this data to check
for similarities and differences across the two groups.

    Why is this research important, you may ask?  Well, because I believe
that regardless of the findings, this work will help us to gain
respect, strength, and knowledge as homosexual individuals and as a
group.  If results indicate significant differences in desired
partner traits for homosexuals versus heterosexuals, it implies that
different psychological constructs are more or less important to one
population or the other, and we will be able to better identify which
constructs best measure which groups.  If factor importance is found
to be significantly similar across groups, it suggests that
homosexual and heterosexual individuals view these factors in the
same way.  This is important due to raising the issue of similarity
regardless of sexual orientation and could hold future implications
regarding the right to same-sex marriage, co-parent adoption, spousal
benefits for homosexual partners, etc.  ...Either way, I think that
this contribution to the field of research will help us to move
forward.

    Anyone who is over the age of 18 and is enrolled in college classes
may complete the survey, (i.e. part-time or full-time, during the
summer or only during the regular school year).  If you know of any
students who may be interested in contributing, please pass this
email along!  The survey has received IRB approval through NMSU, and
to participate, all you have to do is copy and paste the link below
into your address bar and start answering questions!  It takes about
15 minutes to complete and responses are completely anonymous.  Your
completion of the survey would be greatly appreciated! If you have
any specific questions, please feel free to contact me, Kristi Young
/ the lead investigator of this study at (khargisy@nmsu.edu) or via
the Dept. of Family and Consumer Sciences at 575-646-3936. Thank you
so much!

Survey Link:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=g_2fx2C17ePtwwC7iX_2fsm0Lw_3d_3d


Sincerely,

Kristi Young, B.A.

Graduate Research Assistant
Department of Family and Consumer Sciences