Scott examines conflicting evidence on whether humans choose mates based on parental imprinting or genetics, concluding that mate choice might be based on mysterious romantic love.
Longer summary
This post explores the question of how humans choose their mates, examining theories of imprinting on parents versus genetic influences. It reviews several studies on animals and humans, including twin studies, that provide conflicting evidence. The post starts by discussing psychoanalytic theories and animal studies supporting imprinting, then moves to human studies with mixed results. It then examines twin studies that surprisingly show little genetic influence on mate choice. The post ends with the suggestion that mate choice might be based on romantic love, which is beyond scientific understanding. Throughout, Scott maintains a skeptical and sometimes humorous tone, highlighting the complexity and contradictions in the research.
Shorter summary