How we view those who derogate: Perceptions of female competitor derogators.

Abstract

Past research on intrasexual competition for mates has revealed at least four strategies that people may deploy. One of the most frequently used strategies is competitor derogation, such that people derogate potential rivals with respect to their appearance and personality. What remains unknown is how those who derogate rivals are perceived by others. Here we examine how female derogators are viewed by men (i.e., potential mates) and women (i.e., potential rivals), and investigate whether the form of derogation matters. We used a pre-post research design to document changes in perceptions of derogators who made negative statements about other women’s appearance, personality or sexuality. Overall, men significantly decreased their evaluations of the derogator’s friendliness, kindness, trustworthiness and overall desirability as a mate. Women mirrored these results, but also significantly decreased their views of the derogator’s fitness as a parent and her physical attractiveness, and in the case of appearance derogations, her promiscuity. We examine these results within the framework of women’s intrasexual competition for mates.