Not All Copying Works the Same: Confidence and Attention Reveal Distinct Mechanisms of Human Mate-Choice Copying Under Individual Information

Jiajia Xie, Quan Qi, Jin Huang, Keshun Zhang, Department of Psychology, School of Education Science, Qingdao University, School of Psychology, Central China Normal University

Journal of Social and Personal Relationships

Published online on May 09, 2026

Abstract

Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, Ahead of Print.
Mate-choice copying refers to the adjustment of one’s evaluations of potential mates based on others’ choices. While the mate-choice copying effect has been shown to be attenuated by individual information, it remains unclear if its influence varies ...