1
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Pollo P, Reynolds TA, Blake KR, Kasumovic MM. Exploring Within-Gender Differences in Friendships Using an Online Social Network. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2024; 53:3187-3201. [PMID: 38862863 PMCID: PMC11335865 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-024-02906-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Revised: 05/10/2024] [Accepted: 05/19/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024]
Abstract
People tend to befriend others similar to themselves, generating a pattern called homophily. However, existing studies on friendship patterns often rely on surveys that assess the perspective of relatively few participants on their friendships but do not measure actualized friendship patterns. Here, we used data from a large Slovakian online social network to assess the role of gender, age, and body mass index (BMI) in same-gender online connections among more than 400,000 users. We found that age and BMI homophily occurred in both men's and women's same-gender connections, but somewhat more strongly among men's. Yet, as women diverged in BMI, their connections were less likely to be reciprocated. We discuss how the evolutionary legacy of men's coalitional competition (e.g., warfare) and women's mating competition or recruitment of allocare providers might contribute to these patterns in modern same-gender relationships. For example, men's engagement in physical activities may lead to similar formidability levels among their same-gender peers. Altogether, our findings highlight the importance of trait similarity to same-gender friendship patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pietro Pollo
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, 5 Floor, Building E26, Kensington, NSW, 2052, Australia.
| | - Tania A Reynolds
- Department of Psychology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Khandis R Blake
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Michael M Kasumovic
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, 5 Floor, Building E26, Kensington, NSW, 2052, Australia
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2
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Semenyna SW, Vasey PL. Inter-sexual Mate Competition in Humans: A Historical Example from Seventeenth Century Portugal. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2024; 53:2083-2090. [PMID: 38514493 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-024-02833-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2022] [Revised: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024]
Abstract
Inter-sexual mate competition occurs any time opposite-sex individuals simultaneously seek to acquire or maintain exclusive access to the same sexual partner. This underappreciated form of mate competition has been anecdotally documented in several avian and mammalian species, and systematically described among Japanese macaques and humans. Here, we extend the concept of inter-sexual mate competition by reassessing a remarkable series of Portuguese letters, penned in 1664 and later discovered and translated by Mott and Assunção (J Homosex 16:91-104, 1989). The letters comprise one side of a correspondence between two males, former lovers who were scrutinized by the Portuguese Inquisition. After ending the relationship, the recipient of the letters was betrothed to a woman, which provoked a jealous response from his jilted male lover and pleas to reunite. We argue that the letters portray a prolonged sequence of inter-sexual mate competition in which a male and female competitor vied for the same man. An established taxonomy of mate competition tactics was applied to the behavior of both competitors illustrating many parallels with contemporary examples of inter-sexual mate competition. Through this comparison, we show that modern mate competition taxonomies can be fruitfully applied to historical texts and that inter-sexual mate competition occurred hundreds of years before the present. Other examples of inter-sexual mate competition are likely to exist in the historical record, providing a rich source of scientific information if appropriate theoretical frameworks are employed. Indeed, any time individuals are attracted to sexual partners who behave in a bisexual manner, then inter-sexual mate competition can ensue with members of the other sex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott W Semenyna
- Department of Psychology, Stetson University, 421 N. Woodland Blvd., Unit 8281, DeLand, FL, 32723, USA.
| | - Paul L Vasey
- Department of Psychology, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, Canada
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3
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Martin-Storey A, Dirks M, Paquette G, Boutin S, Dryburgh NSJ, Leduc K, Bolduc ML, Temcheff C. The Slut-Shaming Instrument: Preliminary validation, correlates, and links with psychological distress among adolescent girls. JOURNAL OF RESEARCH ON ADOLESCENCE : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR RESEARCH ON ADOLESCENCE 2023; 33:1447-1457. [PMID: 37482938 DOI: 10.1111/jora.12876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2022] [Revised: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023]
Abstract
Despite social awareness of the problem of slut-shaming for adolescent girls, no existing measure captures this construct. Using data from a sample of 202 girls from Québec, Canada (ages 14-17; 68% White), preliminary validation is provided for the Slut-Shaming Instrument, a seven-item measure of negative peer experiences related to being perceived as too sexually active, sexualized, or flirtatious. The measure showed strong psychometric properties including good reliability and factor structure, expected associations with daily experiences of slut-related victimization and sexual harassment, and links with number of sexual partners and other forms of peer victimization. Slut-shaming was associated with distress accounting for these other forms of victimization (including sexual harassment), suggesting the pertinence of addressing this type of gender-based victimization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexa Martin-Storey
- Groupe de recherche et d'intervention sur les adaptations sociales de l'enfance, Département de Psychoéducation, Université de Sherbrooke, Longueuil, Quebec, Canada
| | - Melanie Dirks
- Department of Psychology, McGill University, Quebec, Canada
| | - Geneviève Paquette
- Département de psychoéducation, Université de Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
| | - Stéphanie Boutin
- Départment de psychologie, Université de Québec à Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | | | - Karissa Leduc
- Department of Educational and School Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | | | - Caroline Temcheff
- Department of Educational and School Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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4
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Ruder AM, Brase GL, Balboa NJ, Brandner JL, Basha SAJ. Perceptions of Income Inequality and Women's Intrasexual Competition. HUMAN NATURE (HAWTHORNE, N.Y.) 2023; 34:605-620. [PMID: 38114790 PMCID: PMC10947790 DOI: 10.1007/s12110-023-09466-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
Income inequality has been empirically linked to interpersonal competition and risk-taking behaviors, but a separate line of findings consistently shows that individuals have inaccurate perceptions of the actual levels of income inequality in society. How can inequality be both consistently misperceived and yet a reliable predictor of behavior? The present study extends both these lines of research by evaluating if the scope of input used to assess income inequality (i.e., at the national, state, county, or postal code level) can account for perception discrepancies and if actual/perceived inequality is associated with female intrasexual competition. Female participants recruited online from the general US population (n = 691) provided demographic information, measures of perceived income inequality, and measures of intrasexual competition attitudes and behavior. Actual and perceived income inequality (at any level) did not predict negative attitudes toward other women or female weighting of physical appearance as a desirable trait. Perceived income inequality and actual county-level inequality was, however, predictive of female competition in the form of self-sexualization clothing choice. Further analyses found that age and importance placed on physical attractiveness also predicted women's clothing choices. Perceptions of income inequality were predicted not by actual Gini indices, but by beliefs about the levels of poverty and income gaps. These results highlight the importance of better understanding the proximate cues by which people perceive environmental features such as inequality, and how those cues are used to adjust interpersonal behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abby M Ruder
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Kansas State University, 492 Bluemont Hall, Manhattan, KS, 66506-5302, USA
| | - Gary L Brase
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Kansas State University, 492 Bluemont Hall, Manhattan, KS, 66506-5302, USA.
| | - Nora J Balboa
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Kansas State University, 492 Bluemont Hall, Manhattan, KS, 66506-5302, USA
| | | | - Sydni A J Basha
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
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5
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A factor analytic examination of women's and men's friendship preferences. PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2023.112120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/16/2023]
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6
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The impact of gossip, reputation, and context on resource transfers among Aka hunter-gatherers, Ngandu horticulturalists, and MTurkers. EVOL HUM BEHAV 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2023.02.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/13/2023]
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7
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Fox SA, Scelza B, Silk J, Kramer KL. New perspectives on the evolution of women's cooperation. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20210424. [PMID: 36440567 PMCID: PMC9703265 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
A holistic, evolutionary framework about human cooperation must incorporate information about women's cooperative behaviour. Yet, most empirical research on human cooperation has centered on men's behaviour or been derived from experimental studies conducted in western, industrialized populations. These bodies of data are unlikely to accurately represent human behavioural diversity. To address this gap and provide a more balanced view of human cooperation, this issue presents substantial new data and multi-disciplinary perspectives to document the complexity of women's cooperative behaviour. Research in this issue 1) challenges narratives about universal gender differences in cooperation, 2) reconsiders patrilocality and access to kin as constraints on women's cooperation, 3) reviews evidence for a connection between social support and women's health and 4) examines the phylogenetic roots of female cooperation. Here, we discuss the steps taken in this issue toward a more complete and evidence-based understanding of the role that cooperation plays in women's and girls' lives and in building human sociality. This article is part of the theme issue 'Cooperation among women: evolutionary and cross-cultural perspectives'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie A. Fox
- Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
| | - Brooke Scelza
- Department of Anthropology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Joan Silk
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
| | - Karen L. Kramer
- Department of Anthropology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
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8
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Cassar A, Rigdon M. Sustaining the potential for cooperation as female competitive strategy. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20210440. [PMID: 36988499 PMCID: PMC9703262 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The lower female competitiveness often found in economic experiments presents a puzzle. If accumulating wealth and reaching high status affords women essential benefits for themselves and their children, why do women appear less competitive? By looking at behavioural strategies from a cooperative breeding perspective, we propose that women may have evolved an adaptation to strategically suppress competitiveness to elicit cooperation for the benefit of raising offspring. To support this idea, we review the literature that shows that women's behaviour is, in general, more reactive than men's to the social conditions of the different games. In particular, we focus on our experimental work where we show that women are not less competitive than men once the games evoke a parenting frame (by substituting cash with rewards that could benefit the participants' offspring), a gender-typical one (by using vouchers for prizes acceptable as domain of female interests), or include a prosocial option (by allowing winners to share some of the gains with losers). We conclude that, for women, nurturing the potential for cooperation intertwines with competitiveness to produce a complex, adaptive female social strategy. This article is part of the theme issue 'Cooperation among women: evolutionary and cross-cultural perspectives'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Cassar
- Department of Economics, University of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94117, USA
| | - Mary Rigdon
- Center for the Philosophy of Freedom, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
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9
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Bedrov A, Gable SL. Thriving together: the benefits of women's social ties for physical, psychological and relationship health. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20210441. [PMID: 36440568 PMCID: PMC9703221 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 06/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The relationship between social support and well-being is well established in social psychology, with evidence suggesting that these benefits are especially prominent among women. When faced with an environmental stressor, women are more likely to adopt a tend-and-befriend strategy rather than fight-or-flight. Furthermore, female friendships tend to be higher in self-disclosure and more frequently relied on for social support, which is associated with physical and psychological benefits. Women are also more effective at providing social support, further augmenting those benefits. We begin with an overview of the characteristics of women's social ties and how they can be especially useful in times of stress. We then transition to the benefits of female social networks even in the absence of negative events and incorporate research from health and social psychology to consider the positive implications of having strong social bonds and the negative implications of lacking such bonds. Additionally, we consider cross-cultural differences in tendencies to seek out social support and its subsequent benefits, as well as the need for more research with culturally diverse samples. It remains unclear the extent to which patterns of social support benefits for women vary cross-culturally. This article is part of the theme issue 'Cooperation among women: evolutionary and cross-cultural perspectives'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alisa Bedrov
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Shelly L. Gable
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
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10
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Heying HE. Covert vs. Overt: Toward a More Nuanced Understanding of Sex Differences in Competition. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2022; 51:3273-3277. [PMID: 34997401 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-021-02278-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2021] [Revised: 12/21/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
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11
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Reynolds TA. Response to Commentaries: Variation in Women's Intrasexual Sociality by Life History Strategy, Patrilocal Legacy, and Polygyny. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2022; 51:3299-3310. [PMID: 35854162 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-022-02378-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2022] [Revised: 06/28/2022] [Accepted: 06/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Tania A Reynolds
- Department of Psychology, University of New Mexico, Logan Hall, MSC03-2220, Albuquerque, NM, 87131-0001, USA.
- The Kinsey Institute, Indiana University, Bloomington, USA.
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12
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Honey PL, Semenyna SW. Confronting Assumptions About Our Grandmothers' Legacy and Challenges Faced by Our Female Ancestors. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2022; 51:3279-3282. [PMID: 34820781 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-021-02231-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2021] [Revised: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- P Lynne Honey
- Department of Psychology, MacEwan University, 10700 104 Avenue NW, Edmonton, AB, T4J 4S2, Canada.
| | - Scott W Semenyna
- Department of Psychology, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, Canada
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13
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Rucas SL, Alami S. Female-Female Competition Occurs Irrespective of Patrilocality. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2022; 51:3287-3292. [PMID: 34799834 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-021-02221-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2021] [Revised: 11/05/2021] [Accepted: 11/06/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Stacey L Rucas
- Department of Social Sciences, California Polytechnic State University, 1 Grand Avenue, San Luis Obispo, CA, 93407-0329, USA.
| | - Sarah Alami
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
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14
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Parish AR. Two Sides of the Same Coin: Females Compete and Cooperate. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2022; 51:3283-3286. [PMID: 34811653 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-021-02230-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2021] [Revised: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Amy R Parish
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, 2001 N Soto Street, Suite 205, Los Angeles, CA, 90032-3628, USA.
- Upper School Department of Humanities, La Jolla Country Day School, La Jolla, CA, USA.
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15
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Benenson JF. The Overloaded Mother. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2022; 51:3257-3262. [PMID: 33768476 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-021-01983-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2021] [Revised: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Joyce F Benenson
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 11 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA.
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16
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Hess NH. Friendship, Mating, and Reputation in U.S. College Sororities: Exploring Female Intrasexual Competition and Cooperation. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2022; 51:3267-3271. [PMID: 34981258 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-021-02260-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Revised: 12/02/2021] [Accepted: 12/03/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Nicole H Hess
- Department of Anthropology, Washington State University, Vancouver, WA, 98686, USA.
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17
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Smith NMA, von Hippel W. Sex-Based Division of Labor Is a Form of Cooperation that Constrains both Males and Females. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2022; 51:3293-3297. [PMID: 34799831 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-021-02227-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Revised: 11/07/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas M A Smith
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia
| | - William von Hippel
- Centre for Psychology and Evolution, School of Psychology, University of Queensland, St Lucia, 4072, Australia.
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18
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Byrd-Craven J, Rankin AM. Grandmothers and Hormonal Underpinnings: Unexplored Aspects of Women's Same-Sex Relationships. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2022; 51:3263-3266. [PMID: 34811652 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-021-02222-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2021] [Revised: 11/05/2021] [Accepted: 11/06/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Byrd-Craven
- Department of Psychology, Oklahoma Center for Evolutionary Analysis, Oklahoma State University, 116 Psychology Building, Stillwater, OK, 74078, USA.
| | - Ashley M Rankin
- Department of Psychology, Oklahoma Center for Evolutionary Analysis, Oklahoma State University, 116 Psychology Building, Stillwater, OK, 74078, USA
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19
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Fertility predicts self-development-oriented competitiveness in naturally cycling women but not hormonal contraceptive users. ADAPTIVE HUMAN BEHAVIOR AND PHYSIOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s40750-022-00198-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/15/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Objective
A growing body of research has begun investigating the relationship between hormones and female competitiveness. Many researchers have focused on the effect of the menstrual cycle and hormonal contraceptives. Despite many attempts at understanding hormone-behavior associations, contradictory findings have made it difficult to determine the existence of true effects. The aim of the current research was to use a robust methodological design to investigate the effect of fertility probability on four competitive orientations in naturally cycling women and hormonal contraceptive users.
Methods
Using a longitudinal diary study with over 3,900 observations from 21 countries, we explore the effect of fertility probability on four self-report competitive orientations after controlling for menstruation: self-developmental competition, hyper competitiveness, competition avoidance, and lack of interest toward competition.
Results
Using Bayesian estimation for ordinal mixed models, we found that fertility probability was associated with an increase in self-development competitiveness amongst naturally cycling women but not hormonal contraceptive users. We also found weak evidence that hormonal contraceptive users show reduced interest in competing compared to naturally cycling women. There were no other robust effects of fertility or hormonal contraceptive use.
Conclusions
These results suggest that fertility probability is associated with increased fluctuations in self-development competitive motivation and that hormonal contraceptives interfere with this effect. This research contributes to the growing body of literature suggesting that hormonal contraceptives may influence psychology and behavior by disrupting evolved hormonal mechanisms.
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20
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Human Females as a Dispersal-Egalitarian Species: A Hypothesis about Women and Status. ADAPTIVE HUMAN BEHAVIOR AND PHYSIOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s40750-022-00191-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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21
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Blake KR. Attractiveness Helps Women Secure Mates, But Also Status and Reproductively Relevant Resources. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2022; 51:39-41. [PMID: 33666826 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-021-01949-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2021] [Revised: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 02/08/2021] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Khandis R Blake
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia.
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22
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Davis AC, Arnocky S. Response to Commentaries: A Socioevolutionary Approach to Self-Presentation Modification. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2022; 51:85-100. [PMID: 34713430 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-021-02170-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2021] [Revised: 09/28/2021] [Accepted: 09/28/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Adam C Davis
- Faculty of Education, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Steven Arnocky
- Department of Psychology, Nipissing University, 100 College Drive, North Bay, ON, P1B 8L7, Canada.
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23
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Hess NH, Hagen EH. Competitive gossip: the impact of domain, resource value, resource scarcity and coalitions. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2021; 376:20200305. [PMID: 34601911 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Those with better reputations often obtain more resources than those with poorer reputations. Consequently, gossip might be an evolved strategy to compete for valuable and scarce material and social resources. Influenced by models of non-human primate competition, we test the hypotheses that gossip: (i) targets aspects of reputation relevant to the domain in which the competition is occurring, (ii) increases when contested resources are more valuable, and (iii) increases when resources are scarcer. We then test hypotheses derived from informational warfare theory, which proposes that coalitions strategically collect, analyse and disseminate gossip. Specifically, we test whether: (iv) coalitions deter negative gossip, and (v) whether they increase expectations of reputational harm to competitors. Using experimental methods in a Mechanical Turk sample (n = 600), and survey and ego network analysis methods in a sample of California sorority women (n = 74), we found that gossip content is specific to the context of the competition; that more valuable and scarcer resources cause gossip, particularly negative gossip, to intensify; and that allies deter negative gossip and increase expectations of reputational harm to an adversary. These results support social competition theories of gossip. This article is part of the theme issue 'The language of cooperation: reputation and honest signalling'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole H Hess
- Department of Anthropology, Washington State University, 14204 NE Salmon Creek Avenue, Vancouver, WA 98686, USA
| | - Edward H Hagen
- Department of Anthropology, Washington State University, 14204 NE Salmon Creek Avenue, Vancouver, WA 98686, USA
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Abstract
Many male traits are well explained by sexual selection theory as adaptations to mating competition and mate choice, whereas no unifying theory explains traits expressed more in females. Anne Campbell's "staying alive" theory proposed that human females produce stronger self-protective reactions than males to aggressive threats because self-protection tends to have higher fitness value for females than males. We examined whether Campbell's theory has more general applicability by considering whether human females respond with greater self-protectiveness than males to other threats beyond aggression. We searched the literature for physiological, behavioral, and emotional responses to major physical and social threats, and found consistent support for females' responding with greater self-protectiveness than males. Females mount stronger immune responses to many pathogens; experience a lower threshold to detect, and lesser tolerance of, pain; awaken more frequently at night; express greater concern about physically dangerous stimuli; exert more effort to avoid social conflicts; exhibit a personality style more focused on life's dangers; react to threats with greater fear, disgust and sadness; and develop more threat-based clinical conditions than males. Our findings suggest that in relation to threat human females have relatively heightened protective reactions compared to males. The pervasiveness of this result across multiple domains suggests that general mechanisms might exist underlying females' unique adaptations. An understanding of such processes would enhance knowledge of female health and well-being.
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Krems JA, Williams KE, Merrie LA, Kenrick DT, Aktipis A. Sex (similarities and) differences in friendship jealousy. EVOL HUM BEHAV 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2021.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Luoto S, Varella MAC. Pandemic Leadership: Sex Differences and Their Evolutionary-Developmental Origins. Front Psychol 2021; 12:633862. [PMID: 33815218 PMCID: PMC8015803 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.633862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2020] [Accepted: 02/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a global societal, economic, and social upheaval unseen in living memory. There have been substantial cross-national differences in the kinds of policies implemented by political decision-makers to prevent the spread of the virus, to test the population, and to manage infected patients. Among other factors, these policies vary with politicians' sex: early findings indicate that, on average, female leaders seem more focused on minimizing direct human suffering caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, while male leaders implement riskier short-term decisions, possibly aiming to minimize economic disruptions. These sex differences are consistent with broader findings in psychology, reflecting women's stronger empathy, higher pathogen disgust, health concern, care-taking orientation, and dislike for the suffering of other people-as well as men's higher risk-taking, Machiavellianism, psychopathy, narcissism, and focus on financial indicators of success and status. This review article contextualizes sex differences in pandemic leadership in an evolutionary framework. Evolution by natural selection is the only known process in nature that organizes organisms into higher degrees of functional order, or counteracts the unavoidable disorder that would otherwise ensue, and is therefore essential for explaining the origins of human sex differences. Differential sexual selection and parental investment between males and females, together with the sexual differentiation of the mammalian brain, drive sex differences in cognition and behavioral dispositions, underlying men's and women's leadership styles and decision-making during a global pandemic. According to the sexually dimorphic leadership specialization hypothesis, general psychobehavioral sex differences have been exapted during human evolution to create sexually dimorphic leadership styles. They may be facultatively co-opted by societies and/or followers when facing different kinds of ecological and/or sociopolitical threats, such as disease outbreaks or intergroup aggression. Early evidence indicates that against the invisible viral foe that can bring nations to their knees, the strategic circumspection of empathic feminine health "worriers" may bring more effective and humanitarian outcomes than the devil-may-care incaution of masculine risk-taking "warriors".
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Affiliation(s)
- Severi Luoto
- English, Drama and Writing Studies, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- School of Psychology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth J Zucker
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5T 1R8, Canada.
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