From Admired Figures to Ideal Partners: A Developmental Relational Prototype Model of Adult Mate Preferences

Early interpersonal experiences may contribute to adult partner preferences through autobiographical memory, emotional learning, and relational schemas. This study proposes the Developmental Relational Prototype Model (DRPM), which conceptualizes admired interpersonal qualities encountered during childhood and adolescence as one possible developmental source of later relational expectations. Data were collected from 799 participants in India, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates during 2006–2010, comprising 394 unmarried adults aged 18–25 years and 405 married adults aged 35–55 years. Unmarried