Perfect mate: The effects of mate selection criteria on the residents’ satisfaction with mate candidates

Relying on experimental data of 6,926 Chinese residents, we utilized the survey experiment method to estimate the effects of mate selection criteria on the residents' satisfaction with mate candidates. The results show that beauty, education, income, hukou of parents, and real estate ownership significantly positively affect residents' satisfaction with mate candidates. These positive effects on the satisfaction with mate candidates are larger for women than men. The positive effects of beauty, income and real estate ownership are significantly stronger for the 1980s and 1990s birth cohorts than for the 1970s and before the 1960s birth cohorts. Life course internal immigration events increase the positive effects of education and real estate ownership on residents' satisfaction with mate candidates. We provide new empirical evidence for understanding male and female mate candidates’ selection preferences, highlighting the role of mate selection criteria and residents’ mate candidate selection behavior.