Short-term Mating Research Articles

Attachment Dysfunction and Relationship Preoccupation

Insecure attachment has been associated with short-term mating strategies and higher numbers of extra-dyadic affairs. Research has found that insecure attachment is also related to sexual addiction. A sample of people seeking treatment for sexual addiction (N = 4,492) was used to explore the prevalence of attachment styles in such a population, and the degree to which insecure attachment predicts relationship preoccupation, and preoccupation with isolated sexual pursuits, both measured by the SDI-4.0 Preoccupation scales. Preoccupied and fearful avoidant attachment were the most prevalent attachment styles in this sample. Results found that anxious attachment was better than avoidant attachment in predicting relationship preoccupation and isolated fantasizing in both men and women, while avoidant attachment was a statistically significant predictor of relationship preoccupation, but more strongly predicted isolated sexual behaviors. In structural equation models women's sexual cycling behaviors were better predicted by anxious attachment, whereas men's sexual cycling behaviors were equally related to anxious and avoidant attachment. Anxious attachment was a better predictor of men's sexual aversion, but in women aversion was better predicted by avoidant attachment. The relevance of these findings for clinical applications is discussed.

Ladies, know yourselves! Gentlemen, fool yourselves! Evolved self-promotion traits as predictors for promiscuous sexual behavior in both sexes

Creating a convincing self-presentation which exalts one's own capabilities on the surface is often regarded as a crucial soft skill ensuring success in numerous interpersonal domains. Seen from an evolutionary perspective, strategic self-promotion might have evolved as a beneficial psychological mechanism in mating competition. While prior research is almost exclusively focused on different behavioral patterns, the present study examines relations between self-promotion and mating behavior on a trait level. Based on existing findings, we identified three different traits corresponding with determined self-presentation styles: impression management, self-deceptive enhancement, and self-monitoring. Using a sample of 232 heterosexual participants (f=143; age M=23.88years; SD=3.42years), we tested to what extent these traits predict sociosexual orientation as well as the total number of intercourse partners in both sexes. Notwithstanding gender, all chosen traits showed a positive prediction towards short-term mating behavior. By taking sex differences into consideration, however, the results indicated that self-deception was a stronger predictor for promiscuous mating behavior in men compared to women, whereas impression management showed minor differences and self-monitoring even revealed an opposite trend. These findings suggest that women may possess more rigorous deception detection mechanisms forcing men to apply subtler self-promotion strategies.

Interest in Babies Negatively Predicts Testosterone Responses to Sexual Visual Stimuli Among Heterosexual Young Men

Men’s testosterone may be an important physiological mechanism mediating motivational and behavioral aspects of the mating/parenting trade-off not only over time but also in terms of stable differences between mating-oriented and parenting-oriented individuals. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that self-reported interest in babies is inversely related to testosterone reactivity to cues of short-term mating among heterosexual young men. Among 100 participants, interest in babies was related to a slow life-history strategy, as assessed by the Mini-K questionnaire, and negatively related to testosterone responses to an erotic video. Interest in babies was not associated with baseline testosterone levels or with testosterone reactivity to nonsexual social stimuli. These results provide the first evidence that differential testosterone reactivity to sexual stimuli may be an important aspect of individual differences in life-history strategies among human males.

Autistic-Like Traits, Sociosexuality, and Hormonal Responses to Socially Stressful and Sexually Arousing Stimuli in Male College Students

We tested the hypothesis that autistic-like traits are associated with restricted sociosexuality and investigated the role of stress and sex hormones as potential physiological mechanisms underlying this association. Study participants were heterosexual male college students (n = 107). Individuals with more autistic-like traits reported lower short-term mating orientation and less previous sexual experience. Autistic-like traits were associated with greater cortisol secretion during a Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) and greater testosterone and cortisol reactivity to a video with explicit erotic content. Cortisol secretion during the TSST was negatively correlated with short-term mating orientation. A mediation analysis suggested that cortisol reactivity to socially stressful stimuli may be one of the physiological mechanisms linking autistic-like traits and sociosexuality. These findings have implications for our understanding of autistic-like traits in normal populations, our knowledge of the relationship between psychosocial stress, sexual arousal, and sociosexuality, and also for research on the role of hormonal mechanisms in inter-individual variation in male life history strategies.

The Relationship Between Cognitive and Affective Empathy and Human Mating Strategies

Humans display a wide variety of mating strategies, ranging from short-term (promiscuous) strategies to long-term (monogamous) strategies. It has been previously suggested that certain personality factors, including individual differences in empathy, may be related to the pursuit of differing mating strategies. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to examine the relationships between different forms of empathy and the inclination towards pursuing a short-term mating strategy, as indexed by sociosexuality. It was found that cognitive empathy abilities were positively associated with higher levels of sociosexuality, though much more so for individuals who were also high in affective empathy. When examining the various sub-components that make up sociosexuality, it was found this effect may be driven by the desire aspect of sociosexuality. It appears, therefore, that the ability to cognitively understand the emotional state of other individuals is related to promiscuous mating strategies, especially when combined with the ability to intuitively feel the emotions of the other individual.

Fickle men, faithful women: Effects of mating cues on men's and women's variety-seeking behavior in consumption

Attitudes about commitment can affect consumers' variety-seeking behavior. In the mating domain, short-term mating cues tend to activate an uncommitment mind-set in men and lead them to seek greater variety in romantic relationships; whereas long-term mating cues tend to activate a commitment mind-set in women and lead them to seek less variety. In this research, we explore whether short-term and long-term mating cues can likewise affect variety-seeking behavior in the product consumption domain through their influence on commitment attitude. In three experiments, we demonstrate that men's variety-seeking behavior increases in the presence of short-term but not long-term mating cues; conversely, women's variety-seeking behavior decreases in the presence of long-term but not short-term mating cues. These effects are caused by attitude toward commitment induced by mating cues. Past research concerning this topic has focused on one gender and on short-term mating cues only, but in this paper we provide a more complete picture—and a more coherent theory—of how, via influencing commitment attitude, mating cues affect variety-seeking behavior differently in men than in women.

Are Within-Sex Mating Strategy Phenotypes an Evolutionary Stable Strateg?

Humans have been found to display considerable variety in their pursuit of mating strategies, varying in their preference for short-term mating encounters versus established long-term relationships. While we know that differences in mating strategy exist between the two sexes (as predicted by parental investment theory), it has recently been shown that each sex may further exhibit two mating phenotypes. Here we explore the possibility that the presence of two phenotypes may be frequency dependent, thus comprising an Evolutionary Stable Strategy (ESS). We suggest that the presence of these phenotypes reflects a compromise between male preference for promiscuity and a female preference in favour of long-term mating by males.

Should have known better: The impact of mating experience and the desire for marriage upon attraction to the narcissistic personality

Narcissistic males do not make good romantic partners. Narcissistic males lack commitment, engage in manipulative game-playing and are unfaithful. Despite this, they are still desired by females. Females value different traits in short-term and long-term partners. Previous mate sampling experience is also important to facilitate mate assessment. This study aimed to determine whether amongst young adult heterosexual females; their mate sampling experience and desire for marriage influenced their attraction to narcissistic personality traits in a potential mate. British females aged 18–28 provided information on past mating experience, future desire for marriage and rated their agreement with 20 statements relating to the extent that they found narcissistic personality traits attractive in a potential mate. Females with greater mating experience and those desiring marriage were more attracted to the narcissistic male personality. The narcissistic personality, whilst having many negative qualities, possesses qualities associated with status and resource provision. These traits are desirable in short and long-term mating contexts. Despite future long-term mating desires which are unlikely to be achieved with a narcissistic male and possession of substantial mate sampling experience, females view the narcissistic male as a suitable partner: a testament to the success of the narcissistic personality in facilitating short-term mating.

Where birds flock to get together: The who, what, where, and why of mate searching

An understudied area of personality psychology is how personality traits might facilitate structuring of one’s environment toward goals like mating. In four studies (N=1325), we examined (1) self-reports of where individuals go to find long-term and short-term mates, (2) how personality traits are associated with the use of these locations, and (3) how the sexes differ in their selection of mate search locations. Men were more likely than women were to use short-term (e.g., bars) than long-term (e.g., community events) niches, but did not differ in success in those niches and agreed on the nature of those niches. Slow life history traits, conscientiousness and agreeableness, were linked to preferences for long-term niches whereas, fast life history traits, narcissism and dishonesty, were linked to preferences for short-term mating niches.

Sex-differences in preference for looking at the face or body in short-term and long-term mating contexts

Previous research has demonstrated that while women prefer to look at the face of men regardless of relationship context, men preferentially look at women's bodies for short-term (over long-term) relationship judgments. The current study examined how self-rated mate value and 'mating intelligence' correlate with the subjective importance of information from the face or body. In addition, given the apparent sex differences in these judgments, we investigated whether either sex is aware of how the opposite-sex prioritizes this. Participants were 266 undergraduate students/volunteers who completed an online survey, measuring preferences for information from the face or body in short-term or long-term contexts, and a range of self-rated mate value meas- ures. Information from the body was more important in short-term contexts for men (but not women), and correlated positively with mating strategy measures. While both sexes overestimated the opposite-sex's preference for looking at the body, women accurately perceived men's differ- ential investment in face or body across contexts, whereas men assumed that women make deci- sions similarly to themselves. Women might benefit more than men from awareness of opposite- sex preferences as this could afford the enhancement or reduction of cues to sexual availability.

Intimate Relationships Then and Now: How Old Hormonal Processes are Influenced by Our Modern Psychology

In this review we argue that relatively recent evolutionary adaptations that are relational or psychological in nature might refocus, dampen, or otherwise shape hormonal processes related to evolutionarily “older” behaviors. We focus on the steroid hormones testosterone and estradiol and discuss a) their associations with “older relational processes” such as mate competition, dominance and nurturance, and b) the ways in which “newer relational processes” such as commitment and attachment relate to these hormones in the context of intimate relationships. We propose that these new relational processes might influence hormones in a manner that enables short-term mating relationships to be transformed into long-term romantic pair-bonds that may be unique to humans.

The Openness-calibration hypothesis

The current study tested the hypotheses that (1) psychological adaptations calibrate Openness to Experience to facilitate or deter pursuit of short-term mating, and (2) this calibration varies as a function of mating strategy, physical attractiveness, and sex—individual differences that shift the costs and benefits of alternative personality strategies. Participants completed a personality inventory before and after reading vignettes describing mating opportunities of different durations (short- and long-term) with individuals of differing levels of attractiveness. Among study findings, participants presented with short-term mating opportunities with individuals of average attractiveness exhibited down-regulated Openness relative to those presented with highly attractive mates. Moreover, these effects varied as a function of the interaction between participants’ sex, mating strategy, and attractiveness. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that evolved psychological mechanisms adaptively calibrate Openness levels in response to short-term mating opportunities. More broadly, they highlight the heuristic value of an evolutionary framework for the study of personality and individual differences.

Morningness–eveningness and intrasexual competition in men

A growing body of research points to a relationship between chronotype and socio-sexuality, especially in men, such that evening-types appear both to be more short-term mating oriented than morning-types and to possess more personality traits and other behavioral characteristics that facilitate sexual promiscuity. This study contributes to and expands this body of research by investigating the relationship between chronotype and intra-sexual competition. We tested the prediction that, in a subject population of young heterosexual men, evening-types would score higher on intra-sexual competition in the context of mating. The results were consistent with our prediction and showed that the association between chronotype and intra-sexual competitiveness is not the by-product of correlations with personality measures. Higher intra-sexual competitiveness in men who are evening-types may contribute to their higher short-term mating success reported by previous studies. Evolutionary hypotheses testing predictions derived from sexual selection or life history theory can make a significant contribution to our understanding of the functional significance of inter-individual variation in chronotype and its associated psychological and behavioral traits.

Sex, Sexual Orientation, and the Necessity of Physical Attractiveness and Social Level in Long-Term and Short-Term Mates

In comparison to biological sex differences and mate preferences, differences in sexual orientation and mate preferences have received limited attention in the literature. The aim of the current experiment was to explore the relationship between biological sex and sexual orientation on the necessity of a long-term and short-term mate's physical attractiveness and social level. Three hundred and seven participants recruited from an Australian university and the wider community completed an online questionnaire assessing necessities of mate characteristics. Results of independent-measures ANOVAS showed that heterosexual men considered a long-term mate's physical attractiveness significantly more of a necessity than heterosexual women. Additionally, individuals of a homosexual sexual orientation considered the social level of a long-term mate significantly more of a necessity than individuals with a heterosexual sexual orientation, but not individuals of a bisexual sexual orientation. Finally, results showed that individuals of a heterosexual sexual orientation considered the physical attractiveness of a short-term mate significantly more of a necessity than did individuals of a homosexual sexual orientation and individuals of a bisexual sexual orientation. Results of the current study suggest research should not just assume equivalence of mate preferences between individuals of differing sexual orientations.

Disgust and mating strategy

An evolutionary task analysis predicts a connection between disgust and human mating, two important but currently disconnected areas of psychology. Because short-term mating strategies involve sex with multiple partners after brief temporal durations, such a strategy should be difficult to pursue in conjunction with high levels of sexual disgust. On this basis, we hypothesized that individuals with a stronger proclivity for short-term mating would exhibit dispositionally lower levels of sexual disgust. Two independent studies provided strong support for this hypothesis: among both men and women, an orientation toward short-term mating was associated with reduced levels of sexual disgust, but not with suppressed moral or pathogen disgust. Our discussion highlights an unexpected finding and suggests important questions for future research.

The slow and fast life histories of early birds and night owls: their future- or present-orientation accounts for their sexually monogamous or promiscuous tendencies

In this study we tested the hypothesis that inter-individual variation in morningness–eveningness (i.e., chronotype) is associated with variation in a composite measure of life history (the mini-K) such that morning-types (i.e., early birds) exhibit traits typically associated with slow life histories while evening-types (i.e., night owls) exhibit traits typically associated with fast life histories. In addition, we tested the hypothesis that time perspective may be one of the psychological mechanisms mediating the relationship between chronotype and socio-sexuality. Study participants were 95 heterosexual young men, most of whom were university students. Chronotype, life-history traits, socio-sexuality, and time perspective were assessed with well-established self-report measures. Variations in chronotype and in life-history traits were significantly associated in the direction predicted by our hypothesis. Consistent with our second hypothesis, time perspective emerged as a significant mediator of the association between chronotype and socio-sexuality so that the future orientation of morning-types was associated with their long-term mating orientation and relatively low sexual experience, while the present orientation of evening-types was associated with their short-term mating orientation and greater sexual experience. Our study provides the first evidence that variation in chronotype may be adaptive and elucidates one of the psychological mechanisms underlying the life history and reproductive strategies of male early birds and night owls.

Relationship Status Moderates Men’s Conspicuous Consumption of Smartphones

By applying the handicap principle, researchers have investigated men’s conspicuous purchases of high-status products as part of sexual signaling systems. Studies have suggested that, as part of short-term mating strategies, men are particularly willing to engage in conspicuous consumption to attract mates. Yet, this research has neglected to examine how relationship status influences conspicuous consumption. In our web-based study involving 352 participants (229 women), men tending towards short-term mating reported greater purchase intentions for a high-status smartphone only when single or in uncommitted relationships, while no association surfaced between mating strategy and conspicuous consumption among men in committed relationships. Results also revealed that, independent of mating strategy and income, single men and men in uncommitted relationships were more willing to purchase a low-status smartphone. Relationship status did not affect women’s conspicuous consumption. With these findings, we argue that relationship status significantly moderates men’s conspicuous consumption, as well as discuss purchases of low-status products as possible signals of men’s interest in long-term mating.

Sex-Linked Mating Strategies Diverge with a Manipulation of Genital Salience.

Trivers (1972) proposed that evolutionary factors should favor divergent mating strategies for males versus females. Such differences may be less pronounced among human beings than other animals and social norms and sex roles are also pertinent influences. The present experiment (N = 133 college undergraduates, 74 female) sought to bypass some of these other influences. Participants were randomly assigned to a condition designed to increase attention to the genital region (a downward pointing arrow) or not (an upward pointing arrow). They then reported on their interest in short-term (e.g., a one-night stand) and long-term (e.g., a potential marital partner) mating opportunities. A theory-consistent three-way interaction occurred such that the genital salience manipulation primed a shorter-term reproductive strategy among men and a longer-term reproductive strategy among women. The results provide unique support for evolution-linked ideas about sex differences in the form of a role for bodily attention.

Consumer responses to sexual advertising: The intersection of modernization, evolution, and international marketing

Drawing on insights from evolutionary psychology and sociology, this research seeks to explain the gender differences and within-sex variations in consumer responses to nudity in advertisements. Specifically, we argue that the abundant resources that come with modernization emancipate women from the dependency on a long-term relationship with a male partner for child bearing and rearing. Therefore, women in modern societies are more likely to use fast reproductive strategies (e.g., short-term mating) to enhance the chances of getting good genes from their mates for their offspring. Their physiological arousals activated by and attitudes toward male or female nudity in ads will change accordingly. In contrast, men’s responses to nudity in ads are less affected by modernization. We conducted an experiment in six Chinese cities and obtained supportive evidence to illustrate these differences. There was also evidence indicating that the socialization of high socio-economic status may offset the force of evolution. This study highlights the usefulness of an interdisciplinary approach in answering important questions in international business. The findings are discussed with a focus on the integration of strategic pluralism theory, life history theory, parental investment theory, and socialization theory.

Physical attractiveness and cooperation in a prisoner's dilemma game

The modulating role of age on the relationship between physical attractiveness and cooperativeness in a prisoner's dilemma game (PDG) was investigated. Previous studies have shown that physical attractiveness is negatively related to cooperative choices among young men but not young women. Following the argument that the negative relationship between physical attractiveness and cooperation is a product of short-term mating strategies among attractive men, we predicted that this relationship is unique to young men and absent among women and older men. We tested this hypothesis with 175 participants (aged 22–69 years). The results showed that physical attractiveness was negatively related to cooperative behavior among young men but not among women or older men. We further observed that the negative relationship between physical attractiveness and cooperation among young men was particularly strong when attractiveness was judged by women.