Elements of parental choice: The evolution of parental preferences in relation to in-law selection

From the book : Evolutionary Psychology 5 issue 1 : 70-83.
With the exception of modern post-industrial societies, parents have primarily been in control of the mating decisions of their offspring.
The selection of in-laws has important fitness consequences for parents.
It is hypothesized, therefore, that parents have evolved specific preferences that enable them to select in-laws that will maximize their inclusive fitness.
To test this hypothesis, data from 297 parents were collected.
It is found that parents place differential emphasis on different in-law traits and that their preferences vary according to the sex of the in-law.
In addition, parents are in agreement when they are selecting an in-law and their preferences are not contingent upon their sex.