Sexual Strategies 4 Flashcards
What do buss and Schmitt 1993 sexual strategy theory claim ?
ST + sexual access = multiple mates
ST + mutual obligation = limited
ST + duration = limited
LT + sexual access = exclusive
LT + mutual obligation = extensive
LT + duration= to child rearing
Females have a valuable resource to protect.
Makes have a valuable resource to compete for.
What are the principles of SST?
Males and females have different:
Reproductive constraints
Adaptive problems
Psychological mechanisms
What do males short term mating strategy involve?
- finding fertile woman
- identify sexually available woman
- minimise investment
- maximise no of partners
What are the benefits of males short term mating strategies?
Direct increase in reproductive fitness
What are the costs of males short term mating strategies?
- conflicts with other males
- damaging to long term strategies
- costly in terms of energy time and resources
What 3 predictions do buss and Schmitt make about males short term strategies?
- Lower standards in men than in women
- Men minimise time between meeting and intercourse
- Men will avoid short term mates requiring commitment
What is a supporting study for men having lower standards than women?
Ragen et al 2000
- both emphasised sexual desirability for short term partner
- men emphasised sexual desirability more than women
- women valued social status
- for long term partner both importance on similarity and socially appealing personality characteristics
What did Schmitt 2010 find ?
Supporting lower standards in men than women.
- Men have greater desire for st mate.
- Men prefer larger number of partners.
- Men require less time before consenting to sex.
- Also suggests women weren’t solely designed for LT mates.
What did Clarke and hatfeild 1989 find ?
Men more eager for sex, supports men minimising delay between meeting and intercourse
Go for coffee- both 50
Go apartment- men 70 women 10
Have sex- men 75 women 0
What does the work of greitmeyer 2005 suggest?
- found men always reported a greater willingness to accept offers if person physically attractive for ST.
- men high willingness to all offers.
- women greater willingness to accept less intimate offers.
What study supports men will avoid short term mates requiring commitment?
Buss 1989-
- Found men want a short term mate that has low commitment desire and high for long term partner.
- also men valued signs of promiscuity in short term mates but not for long.
What do women’s short term sexual strategies involve?
- Obtaining resources, which are direct benefits.
- Quality of partners genes are indirect benefits.
What are the costs of women’s short term mating strategies?
- Loss of direct benefits from commitment.
- damaging to long term strategies.
What are the predictions for women’s short term mating strategies?
- Women more selective than men about short term mates.
2. Less women than men will use short term strategies.
What studies support women are more selective than men about short term mates?
Li and Kendrick 2006
- found women support a good genes account of short term mating.
Greitmeyer 2005
- found men more eager for short term.
- so shows women more choosy.
What study supports less women than men will use short term strategies?
Schmitt, shackelford and buss 2010
-found men more oriented to short term mating strategies.
What studies are evidence of women’s short term strategies?
Pound 2002
- sperm competition from porn.
- men found cues to sperm competition sexually arousing- an evolved to short term strategies by women.
Simmons et al 2004
- 22% of women reported in engaging in extrapair coupulations
- and found extrapair paternity was 2%
- suggest risk of sperm competition low
What did buss 1989 find ?
- 37 countries.
- Men and women numerous traits on importance.
- desirable qualities in a mate:
1. Willing to commit.
2. good parenting.
3. Good genes. - men willing and able to invest.
- woman with high reproductive value.
What are the costs of women’s long term strategies?
Loss of direct benefits from good genes.
What are the benefits from women’s long term strategies?
Direct benefits in the form of resources
What preferences do women have for men for long term?
-Good financial prospect Buss 1989- GFP significantly preferred by women in many countries japan China USA Croatia.
-high social status
Regan et al 2000
Women preferred high social status.
-industriousness
-older
What is the ideal male partner? (6)
- emotionally stable
- sociable
- committed
- good financial prospect
- slightly older
- well educated
What are the non universal preferences for an ideal male?
- pleasant disposition
- good health
- ambition
- desire for family life
What are the costs of males long term mating strategies?
Possible loss of direct fitness through short term strategies
What are the benefits of males long term mating strategies?
Stand to attract a higher quality mate
What are males benefits of commitment?
- can attract a higher quality mate through provision of resources.
- women might require it.
- more of an increase in paternal certainty.
- increased survival of children with two parents.
What studies support men preferring reproductive value?
Buss 1990-
Men in all cultures preferred younger wives.
Kenrick et al 1996-
Teenagers prefer older women.
Why did a preference for beauty evolve?
-physical appearance provides clues on reproductive value.
-men who had an attraction to these cues had more offspring.
Buss 1989-
Modern humans have inherited wisdom on who to mate with.
Physical appearance plays a crucial role in spousal satisfaction. What study supports this?
McNulty 2008-
Physical appearance crucial.
-if wife more attractive then satisfactory for both.
-if husban more attractive then they were less satisfied.
What is the ideal long term female? (5)
- committed
- well educated
- sociable
- good looks
- younger
What are the non universal preferences for the ideal female?
- desire for family life
- dependable
- pleasant disposition
- good health
