“Hypergamy” was not a term I was familiar with so I had to look it up. In doing so, there are some references that indicate that it is not actually innate, but

“Hypergamy” was not a term I was familiar with so I had to look it up. In doing so, there are some references that indicate that it is not actually innate, but a product of culturally reinforced gender roles [1]. For example, if a woman is in a culture that limits her ability to be successful financially, it would follow that she values the ability to make money in a mate to overcome those societal constraints. The cursory look into the research showed that as gender roles in a society became less rigid, the effect of hypergamy was reduced. If it were truly innate, I would expect there to be no reduction in hypergamy as societal norms change. [1] Hadfield, Elaine (1995). Men's and Women's Preferences in Marital Partners in the United States, Russia, and Japan (PDF). Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology Vol. 26 No. 6, Western Washington University. pp. 728–750.