ABSTRACT
Mating intelligence is the latest in a series of new variants of intelligence, including constructs such as “emotional intelligence” (Gardner, 1995; Salovey & Mayer, 1990), “social intelligence” (Marlowe, 1986), and Gardner’s (1983) notion of “multiple intelligences,” which includes “linguistic intelligence,” “logical-mathematical intelligence,” “bodily-kinesthetic intelligence,” “spatial intelligence,” “musical intelligence,” “interpersonal intelligence,” and “intrapersonal intelligence.” Intelligence, in its original definition (Spearman, 1904), referred to purely cognitive abilities of logic and reasoning; I personally would have preferred to keep it that way. However, the tide appears to have turned against my purist position, as implied by the nature and the contents of the current volume. So, in line with the other contributors in this volume and its main theme, I use the phrase “mating intelligence” to mean the constellation of abilities and skills of humans to seek, select, and retain mates, and provide joint parental investment into the offspring with their mates.
