Religious Identification as a Moderator of Evolved Sexual Strategies of Men and Women

Abstract

Buss and Schmitt (1993) found empirical support for their Sexual Strategies Theory hypothesis of evolved sex differences in mating attitudes. This study hypothesized that religiosity would moderate those sex differences. Specifically, it was predicted that men high and low in religiosity would differ in mating attitudes, but it was expected that there would be fewer differences between women high and low in religiosity because of evolved preferences for longer term, more committed relationships. In Study 1, 219 college students completed questionnaires that included a single-item indicator of religiosity and short-term and long-term mating desires. Religiosity moderated sex differences in some mating preferences. In Study 2, 234 college student participants (mean age, 19.1 years) completed measures from Study 1 plus a measure of three types of religiosity: intrinsic (religion as a valuable end in itself), extrinsic (religion as a means to an end), and quest (religion as a means of questioning and doubting; Revised Religious Life Inventory—Hills, Francis, & Robbins, 2005). Intrinsic religiosity, but not extrinsic or quest, moderated sex differences in mating attitudes, especially attitudes regarding number of sexual partners in the short term. These results provide evidence that intrinsic religiosity is an individual difference variable that qualifies the differences in mating strategies hypothesized in Sexual Strategies Theory.