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Engagement Rings as Modern Commitment Cue

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Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science

Synonyms

Diamond rings; Pledge to marry; Wedding rings

Definition

A ring that one partner gives to another when they become engaged to be married as a sign of their commitment.

Introduction

It is a common practice for a man to buy a relatively expensive engagement ring, usually including a diamond, to give to his fiancée when they become engaged as a symbol of their commitment and impending marriage. Engagement rings are often donned for the mere intent to make public a couple’s relationship commitment, and the woman, specifically, is to wear an engagement ring to display that she is “taken” and out of the dating market (Schweingruber et al. 2008). There seems to be no sex difference placed on the importance of an engagement ring before marriage (Ogletree 2010).

Signaling Mate Quality

The practice of giving and wearing a ring can also communicate a kind of social achievement (Parsons 2008) such that an engaged person possesses certain desirable attributes such as stability or maturity...

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Albright College, Reading, PA, USA

    Susan M Hughes

Authors
  1. Susan M Hughes
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Susan M Hughes .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Oakland University, Rochester, MI, USA

    Todd K Shackelford

  2. Department of Psychology, Oakland University, Rochester, MI, USA

    Viviana A Weekes-Shackelford

Section Editor information

  1. Department of Psychology, Oakland University, Rochester, MI, USA

    Tara DeLecce

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Hughes, S.M. (2021). Engagement Rings as Modern Commitment Cue. In: Shackelford, T.K., Weekes-Shackelford, V.A. (eds) Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-19650-3_3656

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