Short-term Mating Research Articles

Universal sex differences in the desire for sexual variety: Tests from 52 nations, 6 continents, and 13 islands.

Evolutionary psychologists have hypothesized that men and women possess both long-term and short-term mating strategies, with men's short-term strategy differentially rooted in the desire for sexual variety. In this article, findings from a cross-cultural survey of 16,288 people across 10 major world regions (including North America, South America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Southern Europe, Middle East, Africa, Oceania, South/Southeast Asia, and East Asia) demonstrate that sex differences in the desire for sexual variety are culturally universal throughout these world regions. Sex differences were evident regardless of whether mean, median, distributional, or categorical indexes of sexual differentiation were evaluated. Sex differences were evident regardless of the measures used to evaluate them. Among contemporary theories of human mating, pluralistic approaches that hypothesize sex differences in the evolved design of short-term mating provide the most compelling account of these robust empirical findings.

An evolutionary perspective on the interaction of age and sex differences in short-term sexual strategies.

Buss and Schmitt's sexual strategies theory (1993) suggests that short-term mating represents a larger component of men's than women's mating strategies. Assuming this sex difference there is potential for conflict. Symons argued that, because men are more interested in copulation than women, this gives women greater power in establishing conditions (short- vs long-term) under which copulation takes place. The result is that the conflict in sexual strategies is resolved in favor of women's relatively greater interest in long-term sexual strategies. This research tested the hypothesis that across ages men would decrease in desire to employ short-term mating strategies in favor of long-term mating strategies. Specifically, in Study I, men and women in their teens, twenties, and thirties or older were given a measure of desire for a committed relationship. It was predicted that women, regardless of age, would score high on desire for a committed relationship. In contrast, teenage boys would score low on desire for a committed relationship while men in their thirties or older would score as high as the women. In Study II both sexes in their teens, twenties, and thirties or older were given measures of desire for promiscuous sex. It was predicted that the women, regardless of age, would score low on desire for promiscuous sex. In contrast, teenage boys would score high on desire for promiscuous sex while men in their thirties or older would score as low as the women. Support was found for both predictions.

Men's and Women's Mating Preferences: Distinct Evolutionary Mechanisms?

Have men and women evolved sex-distinct mating preferences for short-term and long-term mating, as postulated by some evolutionary theorists? Direct tests of assumptions, consideration of confounds with gender, and examination of the same variables for both sexes suggest men and women are remarkably similar. Furthermore, cross-species comparisons indicate that humans do not evidence mating mechanisms indicative of short-term mating (e.g., large female sexual skins, large testicles). Understanding human variability in mating preferences is apt to involve more detailed knowledge of the links between these preferences and biological and chemical mechanisms associated with sexual motivation, sexual arousal, and sexual functioning.

AN EVOLUTIONARY PERSPECTIVE ON THE INTERACTION OF AGE AND SEX DIFFERENCES IN SHORT-TERM SEXUAL STRATEGIES

Buss and Schmitt's sexual strategies theory (1993) suggests that short-term mating represents a larger component of men's than women's mating strategies. Assuming this sex difference there is potential for conflict. Symons argued that, because men are more interested in copulation than women, this gives women greater power in establishing conditions (short- vs long-term) under which copulation takes place. The result is that the conflict in sexual strategies is resolved in favor of women's relatively greater interest in long-term sexual strategies. This research tested the hypothesis that across ages men would decrease in desire to employ short-term mating strategies in favor of long-term mating strategies. Specifically, in Study I, men and women in their teens, twenties, and thirties or older were given a measure of desire for a committed relationship. It was predicted that women, regardless of age, would score high on desire for a committed relationship. In contrast, teenage boys would score low on desire for a committed relationship while men in their thirties or older would score as high as the women. In Study II both sexes in their teens, twenties, and thirties or older were given measures of desire for promiscuous sex. It was predicted that the women, regardless of age, would score low on desire for promiscuous sex. In contrast, teenage boys would score high on desire for promiscuous sex while men in their thirties or older would score as low as the women. Support was found for both predictions.

The desire for sexual variety as a key to understanding basic human mating strategies

AbstractDifferent authors have proposed competing evolutionary theories of human mating. Some argue that both sexes are designed to pursue a singular long‐term mating strategy. Others contend that both sexes are designed to function as essentially multiple maters. Sexual Strategies Theory (SST; D.M. Buss & D.P. Schmitt, 1993), in contrast, proposes that men and women have evolved short‐term and long‐term mating strategies that are pursued differently by each sex depending on theoretically derived dimensions of context. According to SST, the sexes tend to differ in the nature and prominence of the short‐term component of human mating–particularly the short‐term desire for sexual variety. The current research was designed to test competing empirical predictions from these contrasting theories by focusing on sex differences in the desire for sexual variety. Study 1 (N= 1,049), consisting of five separate samples, found large and consistent sex differences in the desire for short‐term sexual variety, even after employing statistical methods to control for skewed distributions and statistical outliers. Study 2 (N= 192) confirmed the results of Study 1 using an older, more mature sample. Study 3 (N= 50) again replicated these sex differences using an observer‐based method of inquiry. Study 4 (N= 167) found evidence that short‐term mating was unrelated generally to psychological dysfunction and may be related to mentally healthy personality characteristics in men. Discussion focuses on the viability of pluralistic compared with monomorphic evolutionary theories of human mating strategies.

Sexually dimorphic mate preference in Japan : An analysis of lonely hearts advertisements.

Lonely hearts advertisements (LHA) published in Japan were examined in a comparative study on sexually dimorphic mate preference. I analyzed 944 LHA written by Japanese (730 by males and 214 by females) seeking short-term relationships and 780 LHA (577 by males and 203 by females) seeking long-term relationships. Some universal patterns of mate preference were confirmed and others were not. Female advertisers in both categories sought more traits than they offered; they also sought more traits than male advertisers. Males tended to offer their financial and social status, and females tended to seek those traits. More females requested family commitment than males. While there was no sex difference in offering and seeking physical appearance and health, females tended to request photographs of their potential mates. Males were more likely than females to be willing to accept children from previous relationships, although there was no significant difference in refusing such children. More females seeking long-term mates requested family commitment than females seeking short-term mates. In both males and females, more advertisers seeking long-term mates offered family commitment than advertisers seeking short-term mates. Some predictions for contingent preference were also examined. One prediction confirmed was that females offering physical appearance and health sought more traits than those not doing so. However, males offering financial and social status did not make higher demands than those who did not, which does not support one prediction.

Male facial attractiveness: evidence for hormone-mediated adaptive design

Experimenters examining male facial attractiveness have concluded that the attractive male face is (1) an average male face, (2) a masculinized male face, or (3) a feminized male face. Others have proposed that symmetry, hormone markers, and the menstrual phase of the observer are important variables that influence male attractiveness. This study was designed to resolve these issues by examining the facial preferences of 42 female volunteers at two different phases of their menstrual cycle. Preferences were measured using a 40-s QuickTime movie (1200 frames) that was designed to systematically modify a facial image from an extreme male to an extreme female configuration. The results indicate that females exhibit (1) a preference for a male face on the masculine side of average, (2) a shift toward a more masculine male face preference during the high-risk phase of their menstrual cycle, and (3) no shift in other facial preferences. An examination of individual differences revealed that women who scored low on a “masculinity” test (1) showed a larger menstrual shift, (2) had lower self-esteem, and (3) differed in their choice of male faces for dominance and short-term mates. The results are interpreted as support for a hormonal theory of facial attractiveness whereby perceived beauty depends on an interaction between displayed hormone markers and the hormonal state of the viewer.

Age preferences for mates as related to gender, own age, and involvement level

The present study examined desired minimum and maximum ages for mates across five different levels of relationship involvement (marriage, serious relationship, falling in love, casual sex, and sexual fantasies) comparing individuals of 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60 years old. Consistent with previous findings, women preferred partners of their own age, regardless of their own age and regardless of the level of relationship involvement. Men, on the other hand, regardless of their own age, desired mates for short-term mating and for sexual fantasies who were in their reproductive years. However, with regard to long-term mates, men preferred mates who, although younger than them, were sometimes above the age of maximum fertility. Explanations for these findings are discussed.

The Effects of Sex and Temporal Context on Feelings of Romantic Desire: An Experimental Evaluation of Sexual Strategies Theory

According to evolutionary theories of human mating, people should feel the most romantic desire toward potential mates who possess reproductively adaptive attributes. Across five person-perception experiments involving staged interviews, we found that men’s and women’s feelings of romantic desire can be manipulated by varying adaptive attributes in a target person. For example, during some interviews, participants were exposed to an experimental confederate exhibiting cues to easy sexual access. Because men’s short-term sexual strategy is based on obtaining high numbers of partners, it was predicted that exposure to a target person suggesting easy sexual access would especially intensify men’s short-term romantic desires. The authors found evidence that targets who exhibited cues to easy sexual access were rated the most desirable by men in the context of short-term mating. Discussion focused on limitations of the current studies and on the importance of invoking methodological pluralism when testing evolutionary theories of romantic desire.

The repeatability of a sexual conflict over mating

Measuring individual variation in mating behaviour is an integral part of studies of sexual selection and of considerable theoretical importance. Few studies, however, have examined individual variation in mating behaviour in a sexual conflict system and considered how individual variation influences the strength and consistency of the resulting sexual selection. We examined variation in mating behaviour of male and female pairs in the seaweed fly, Coelopa frigida. Sexual selection in seaweed flies occurs as a result of a sexual conflict over mating, with larger males generally able to overcome female rejection responses. We explored male and female mating conflicts and examined the variation in conflict outcomes within and between pairs. First, female willingness to mate was unaffected by short-term mating experience, allowing us to examine repeated interactions between a male and a female. Second, the outcomes of the sexual conflict over mating (copulation or rejection), and components of the mating interaction (number of copulations and time the male is mounted), were strongly repeatable. Third, the patterns of sexual selection on male size were consistent across mounts. Individual pairs consistently gave the same outcome to the mating conflict and yielded consistent sexual selection. Sexual conflict systems can thus be studied in the same way as those with more traditional forms of sexual selection and yield important insights into the links between variation in mating behaviour and sexual success.

Fluctuating asymmetry, mating success, body size and heterozygosity in Coenagrion scitulum (Rambur) (Odonata: Coenagrionidae)

For decades fluctuating asymmetry (FA) has been considered a good descriptor of developmental stability. Correlations have been shown between FA and several fitness components, including mating success and heterozygosity level. However, some doubts have been expressed about the generalization of these results, perhaps because of bias towards positive results and a poor critical approach in the first phase of FA studies. Studies on Odonata are scarce and are concentrated on the Coenagrionidae family, with contrasting results in the relationships between FA and mating success, size and other fitness components. We investigated the relationships between FA expressed as right−left wing length (R−L), body size expressed as (R+L)/2, multilocus and single locus heterozygosity assessed by allozyme electrophoresis and short-term mating success (SMS) assessed from the status (mated or not) of the males at the moment of collection. We collected 260 males from a breeding population. The data were analysed by both univariate and multifactorial statistical methods. After excluding a correlation between FA and body size, we checked the presence of a true FA by using tests for normality, directional asymmetry, antisymmetry and difference from the interindividual variations. The results showed no correlation between FA (either signed or absolute) and heterozygosity, body size and SMS, while heterozygosity was clearly positively correlated with body size and with SMS. Our data suggest an effect of the presence of some particular alleles on SMS, instead of an effect of the multilocus heterozygosity, even if the presence of only three polymorphic loci weakens the conclusions. Finally, no correlation was found between body size and SMS.

Are men really more 'oriented' toward short-term mating than women? A critical review of theory and research

According to Sexual Strategies Theory (D.M. Buss and D.P.Schmitt 1993), both men and women possess psychological adaptations for short-term mating. However, men may possess three adaptations that make it seem as though they are generally more 'oriented' toward short-term mating than women: (1) Men possess greater desire for short-term sexual relationships than women; (2) Men prefer larger numbers of sexual partners over time than women; and (3) Men require less time before consenting to sex than women. We review a wide body of psychological theory and evidence that corroborates the presence of these adaptations in men's short-term sexual psychology. We also correct some recurring misinterpretations of Sexual Strategies Theory, such as the mistaken notion that women are designed solely for long-term mating. Finally, we document how the observed sex differences in short-term mating complement some feminist theories and refute competing evolutionary theories of human sexuality.

Mating system and genetic variance in a polygynous mustelid, the European polecat.

The population genetic implications of mating system were investigated in European polecat Mustela putorius populations from western France, combining radiotracking survey and allozyme variation analysis. Mating period occurred from February to June and polecats showed a strategy of successive polygyny, a male consorting with 1.44 females during a brief period (2.9 days). Relatedness was largely sex biased, females (21%) being almost twice more related than males (13%) suggesting a natal philopatry. Nonetheless, breeding dispersal pattern appeared relatively complex. Males were the sex dispersing but the main strategy for male polecats consisted of short-term mating excursions in adjacent females ranges whereas long-distance dispersal only constituted an alternative breeding strategy. Despite their allozymic polymorphism level reaching 24% at p<0.05 for 38 scored loci, populations showed a high heterozygote deficiency as revealed by the F(IS) index averaging F(IS) = 0.383. Thus the mating system of such solitary mustelids may be poorly efficient to prevent inbreeding within populations.

The evolution of human mating: trade-offs and strategic pluralism.

During human evolutionary history, there were "trade-offs" between expending time and energy on child-rearing and mating, so both men and women evolved conditional mating strategies guided by cues signaling the circumstances. Many short-term matings might be successful for some men; others might try to find and keep a single mate, investing their effort in rearing her offspring. Recent evidence suggests that men with features signaling genetic benefits to offspring should be preferred by women as short-term mates, but there are trade-offs between a mate's genetic fitness and his willingness to help in child-rearing. It is these circumstances and the cues that signal them that underlie the variation in short- and long-term mating strategies between and within the sexes.

The trade-off between frequency of intercourse and sexual partner accumulation may reflect evolutionary adaptations

The adaptive trade-offs between long- and short-term matings may be mediated or at least reflected partially by the trade-offs between the relative reinforcement obtained through a greater frequency of intercourse (typically greater among cohabitants) versus a greater frequency of partner change. The differing correlates of each approach and meshing with the Sexual Strategies Theory of Gangestad &amp; Simpson are discussed.

Conditional mating strategies are contingent on return from investment

Gangestad &amp; Simpson present an evolutionary functional analysis of mating strategies. This commentary interprets their argument using a central concept from life history theory, return from investment. Incorporating return from investment allows further specification of costs and benefits from short-term mating in women as well as men and in ecological settings of high environmental variation in mortality and resource availability.

Scientific truth and perceived truth about sexual human nature: Implications for therapists

Therapists and their patients must deal with the negative sequelae of short term mating strategies. Implications for therapy of Gangestad &amp; Simpson's strategic pluralism theory are compared with those of Buss's sexual strategies theory and Eagly's social role theory. Naive theories held by therapists and patients, as well as prevailing societal views, are posited as influential in determining the course and outcome of therapy.

Mating and marriage, husbands and lovers

Human mating strategies are contingent on individual prospects. Gangestad &amp; Simpson provide a useful framework to explore these differing prospects, but do not take sufficient account of what is known ethnographically about mating decisions. Women often do not select their own long term mates. Men often have two or more long term mates, and can invest in the offspring of short term matings also.

A comprehensive theory of human mating must explain between-sex and within-sex differences in mating strategies

Gangestad &amp; Simpson make a major contribution by highlighting the importance of mate choice for good genes, the costs of alternative strategies, and tradeoffs inherent in human mating. By downplaying sex differences and ignoring the nongenetic adaptive benefits of short term mating, however, they undermine their goal of “strategic pluralism” by presenting a theory devoid of many documented complexities of human mating.

Good genes and parental care in human evolution

Prior to agriculture, human societies were small, with little variation for good genes sexual selection (GGSS) to work on. Across cultures, variation in paternal care makes the benefits of GGSS highly variable. Despite these caveats, female preferences for traits like male body symmetry suggest one reason for female short-term mating is gene shopping.