The influence of sexual orientation on reputational punishment of other women’s behaviour

Abstract

ABSTRACT The denigration of competitors is an evolved strategy used to give the impression that a rival is less appealing. Evidence indicates that women denigrate other women principally on appearance and sexual fidelity because men value these qualities in partners. The current investigation examined whether indirect aggression – the spreading of reputation-harming information about a rival woman – is a strategy utilised by both straight and lesbian women. Additionally, we explored whether it was influenced by the extent to which a rival target was identified as ‘threatening’ or sexually promiscuous. Female participants were assigned to one of two possible target vignette/photographic conditions (sexualised versus neutral) based on their self-identified sexual orientation. All were provided the same information about the target’s social life, asked whether they would share that information with others, and completed a threat assessment. Findings suggest that lesbian and straight women both use competitor derogation as a mating strategy and are more likely to denigrate targets they perceive as sexual rivals. Straight women reported a greater likelihood of conveying reputation-harming information about the target in the sexualised condition compared to the neutrally dressed condition, but dress did not influence lesbians’ likelihood of denigration. Potential differences in mate selection criteria are discussed.