Contextual and Procedural Determinants of Partner Selection: Of Asymmetric Dominance and Prominence

The early stage of partner selection is conceptualized as a decision-making process amenable to at least two types of influence: contextual and procedural. An example of contextual influence is the asymmetric dominance effect. According to this effect, introduction in a two-person field of eligibles of a third eligible, who is dominated (i.e., is inferior) on an attribute by the first eligible but not by the second one, will tip the scale toward selecting the first eligible. An example of procedural influence is the prominence effect. According to this effect, participants will be more likely to select in choice rather than in matching the eligible who is superior on an attribute important to the participants. On the other hand, participants will be more likely to select in matching rather than in choice the eligible who is superior on an attribute unimportant to the participants. Two experiments demonstrated these contextual and procedural influences.