Sperm Competition and Short-Term Mating Quiz

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Questions and Answers

What did 75 percent of the men in the study mentioned in the text do?

Felt offended by the request

Refused the request for sex

Expressed confusion about the request

Agreed to have sex with the attractive person (correct)

According to Charles Darwin, what ability do women possess in relation to marriage?

They have no say in choosing their partners

They can tempt the men they prefer (correct)

They are entirely dependent on men for marriage

They have no control over their marital decisions

In the context of short-term mating, what did 100 percent of the women in the study do when approached for sex?

Expressed confusion about the request

Refused the request for sex (correct)

Agreed to have sex with the attractive person

Felt offended by the request

In a cross-cultural study of 16,288 people, what was the consistent finding regarding sex partner desires?

Men desired a larger number of sex partners than women in all countries. Signup and view all the answers

What was the average frequency of experiencing sexual desire estimated by men and women in a study?

Men estimated 37 times per week, whereas women estimated 9 times per week. Signup and view all the answers

What do some psychologists argue should result from increased gender equality?

Reduction or elimination of sex differences in desires. Signup and view all the answers

What is one of the key requirements for the proper evolved function of short-term mating?

Recurrent selection pressure over human evolutionary history Signup and view all the answers

What are men seeking short-term mates predicted to prefer in women?

Cues correlated with fertility Signup and view all the answers

What is typically a consequence of intense sperm competition?

Large testes Signup and view all the answers

According to Trivers's theory of parental investment and sexual selection, why do men have a greater desire for casual sex compared to women?

Men have minimal investment in reproduction compared to women. Signup and view all the answers

What factor influences the likelihood of agreeing to engage in sexual activity, as revealed by a study in Denmark?

Relationship status Signup and view all the answers

What are some potential costs for men pursuing short-term mating strategies, as discussed in the text?

Risk of sexually transmitted diseases, acquiring a reputation as a 'womanizer,' and lack of paternal investment in offspring Signup and view all the answers

What is the significance of human males having relatively large testes, accounting for 0.079% of body weight?

It indicates sperm competition and short-term mating Signup and view all the answers

What does the increase in sperm insemination by husbands after prolonged separation suggest?

Adaptation for potential extramarital sex and sperm competition Signup and view all the answers

What does the psychological evidence show about men's desire for sexual variety?

It demonstrates the motivating force of lust in men Signup and view all the answers

In the study by Buss & Schmitt, what did both men and women report about their likelihood of having sex after knowing a desirable potential mate for 5 years?

They would probably have sex Signup and view all the answers

According to the study by Surbey & Conohan, what did men report in comparison to women regarding their anticipated willingness to engage in sexual intercourse across various conditions?

Men reported a greater anticipated willingness to engage in sexual intercourse Signup and view all the answers

What did evolutionary psychologists Michele Surbey and Colette Conohan conclude about men's willingness to engage in casual sex?

Men reported a greater anticipated willingness to engage in sexual intercourse across all conditions compared with women Signup and view all the answers

In the context of short-term mating, what do men aim to maintain?

Ability to mate with others Signup and view all the answers

What do men's sexual fantasies more often include?

Strangers, multiple partners, or anonymous partners Signup and view all the answers

What is the closing time phenomenon at a bar a psychological solution to?

The problem of sexual accessibility Signup and view all the answers

What do men prioritize when considering casual sex partners?

Cues to fertility Signup and view all the answers

What was the age range for acceptable partners for short-term mating among college men?

16 to 28 Signup and view all the answers

What effect do men with a short-term mating strategy experience immediately following intercourse?

Sharp decline in partner's sexual attractiveness Signup and view all the answers

What percentage of American women tend to focus on familiar partners in their sexual fantasies?

59% Signup and view all the answers

What percentage of women focus on the personal and emotional characteristics of their fantasized partner?

41% Signup and view all the answers

What was the consistent finding regarding sex drive in a study involving more than 200,000 individuals from 53 nations?

Men report having a higher sex drive than women in every nation Signup and view all the answers

What do men oriented toward short-term mating tend to be sensitive to detecting in women?

Sexually attractive women who display cues of vulnerability Signup and view all the answers

What do men, more than women, tend to regret in terms of sexual opportunities?

Missed sexual opportunities Signup and view all the answers

What does understanding men's sexual psychology potentially lead to?

A reduction in sexual exploitation and a deeper understanding of men's behavior in short-term mating Signup and view all the answers

What did the Kinsey study find regarding extramarital affairs?

50% of men had extramarital affairs, while 26% of women had them Signup and view all the answers

What did Thomas Gregor note about sexual feelings of Amazonian Mehinaku men?

Sex with spouses is said to be mana, in contrast with sex with lovers, which is nearly always awirintyapa Signup and view all the answers

What did Symons' study suggest about prostitution?

Prostitution is a reflection of men’s greater desire for casual sex Signup and view all the answers

What do women prioritize in short-term mating contexts?

Physical attractiveness and immediate resources Signup and view all the answers

What is a greater risk for women than for men in short-term mating?

Contracting sexually transmitted diseases Signup and view all the answers

What do psychological mechanisms in women and men aim to achieve in short-term mating?

Minimize costs and maximize benefits Signup and view all the answers

What did Kinsey find about American men and prostitution?

69% of American men had solicited a prostitute, and 15% used prostitution regularly. Signup and view all the answers

What does 'hooking up' refer to?

Spontaneous sexual interactions without a promise of future intimacy. Signup and view all the answers

What does the physiological evidence suggest about the evolutionary history of short-term mating in humans?

There is evidence of a long evolutionary history of short-term mating in humans. Signup and view all the answers

What is the potential benefit of women engaging in short-term mating?

Enhancing genetic diversity in their children Signup and view all the answers

What risk do women adopting an exclusively short-term sexual strategy face?

Physical and sexual abuse Signup and view all the answers

What consequence do women risk as a result of developing reputations for promiscuity?

Impairing their desirability as long-term mates Signup and view all the answers

What is the hypothesis regarding a woman's orgasm and sperm retention?

Women retain more sperm if they have an orgasm, ejecting only 30% Signup and view all the answers

What is the finding about women's likelihood of experiencing sexual orgasm with masculine and physically attractive men?

Women are especially likely to experience sexual orgasm with men who are masculine and physically attractive Signup and view all the answers

What are the proposed benefits to women of short-term mating?

Resource accrual, paternity confusion, protection, and status elevation Signup and view all the answers

What did Glass and Wright find regarding justifications for extramarital affairs?

Love and emotional intimacy were rated as the most compelling justifications for an affair by women Signup and view all the answers

What did Greiling and Buss examine regarding women's perceptions of benefits from affairs?

The perceived benefits of affairs and the contexts in which women perceive they would likely have an affair Signup and view all the answers

What did the study by Kinsey et al. find about women who have affairs?

Women who have affairs are significantly less happy with their current partner, emotionally and sexually Signup and view all the answers

What did Greiling and Buss find about women pursuing short-term mating?

They view sexual resources, attraction and seduction skills, and material resources as more beneficial. Signup and view all the answers

What did a study find about women pursuing short-term mating and their willingness for commitment?

They were considerably more willing to have sex without requiring signs of commitment from the man. Signup and view all the answers

What did a study show about judges' ability to predict women's sexual strategy based on specific cues?

Judges can reasonably accurately predict women's sexual strategy based on specific cues such as eyebrow flashes and number of glances at a male confederate. Signup and view all the answers

What did a study reveal about sexually unrestricted women and their dress provocativeness at ovulation?

Sexually unrestricted women tend to show more dramatic shifts in dress provocativeness at ovulation compared to more sexually restricted women. Signup and view all the answers

What do people perceive about men who smoke and drink alcohol a lot?

People perceive men who smoke and drink alcohol a lot to be inclined to short-term mating, and this perception has some accuracy. Signup and view all the answers

What did a study find about the perception of men with tattoos?

People perceive men with tattoos to have had a larger number of sex partners, but whether tattoos actually signal sexual strategy is not determined. Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary reason women cited for engaging in extra-pair mating?

Seeking a partner who is more desirable than the current one Signup and view all the answers

What did the study by Li & Kenrick find about women's motivation for casual sex?

They were physically attracted to the person Signup and view all the answers

What was the hypothesis put to the test by Gangestad & Thornhill in their research?

Good Genes Signup and view all the answers

What do women prioritize in short-term mating contexts?

Physical attractiveness, desirability to other women, confident, daring, and successful men Signup and view all the answers

What do studies show about women's preferences around ovulation?

Increased attraction to symmetrical features, facial and body masculinity, tallness, and social dominance Signup and view all the answers

What is the aim of future research in understanding female short-term sexual psychology?

To explore the complexity of female short-term sexual psychology in different contexts and adaptive benefits Signup and view all the answers

What did a study find about women and men pursuing short-term mating?

Women and men pursuing short-term mating tend to have lower thresholds for sexual disgust Signup and view all the answers

What did a study reveal about facial masculinity and short-term mating strategy?

Facial masculinity was linked with a short-term mating strategy only in men, not in women Signup and view all the answers

What did a study find about sexually unrestricted women and their facial appearance?

Sexually unrestricted women tended to have a more masculine facial appearance Signup and view all the answers

What is a factor linked to lower inclinations for short-term mating?

Surplus of women Signup and view all the answers

What do high-mate-value men tend to have more of, in terms of sexual behavior?

Sexual partners Signup and view all the answers

What is a personality trait that predicts an interest in short-term mating?

Low conscientiousness Signup and view all the answers

What is correlated with men expressing unwillingness to commit to long-term relationships?

Father absence during upbringing Signup and view all the answers

What is linked to early puberty and early sexual activity among girls?

Poor or harsh parenting, especially from the father Signup and view all the answers

What influences the likelihood of pursuing a short-term sexual strategy?

Sex ratio in the relevant mating pool Signup and view all the answers

What did Trivers's theory of parental investment and sexual selection suggest about ancestral men?

They benefited reproductively from short-term mating through increased offspring. Signup and view all the answers

What did empirical evidence strongly support regarding men's desire for short-term mating compared to women?

Men's greater desire for short-term mating compared to women. Signup and view all the answers

What did the text emphasize regarding the link between women's mate value and sexual strategy?

The link between women's mate value and sexual strategy is more mixed. Signup and view all the answers

What do personality characteristics such as extraversion and low agreeableness predict in relation to short-term mating?

An inclination towards short-term mating. Signup and view all the answers

What was emphasized as a critical thinking question in the text regarding men's psychological proclivities?

How men's psychological proclivities facilitate the success of a short-term mating strategy. Signup and view all the answers

What was highlighted as the future expectation of research in the text?

To provide more insights into the circumstances and personal qualities that cause individuals to shift to short-term or long-term mating strategies. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Evidence for Sperm Competition and Short-Term Mating in Humans

Sperm competition pressures males to produce large ejaculates with numerous sperm for a reproductive advantage.
Human males have relatively large testes, accounting for 0.079% of body weight, indicating sperm competition and short-term mating.
Human testicular volume is smaller than the highly promiscuous chimpanzee, suggesting lower levels of indiscriminate mating.
Human females have an estimated 1.1 male sex partners per birth, indicating moderate levels of sperm competition.
Variations in sperm production and insemination indicate increased sperm count when couples are apart, suggesting adaptation for sperm competition.
Psychological evidence shows the desire for sexual variety and the motivating force of lust in men.
Research shows that a substantially larger percentage of men desire more than one sex partner over the next month in various cultures.
Norwegian culture, with high gender equality, still shows men desiring seven sex partners over the next year, while women desire roughly 2.
The desire for sexual variety is evident in psychological factors such as the nature and frequency of sexual fantasies and the "closing time phenomenon."
Men's sperm count increases when separated from their partners, indicating adaptation for potential extramarital sex and sperm competition.
Men inseminate more sperm upon being reunited with their partners after prolonged separation, to increase their chances in the race to the egg.
The increase in sperm insemination by husbands after prolonged separation ensures their sperm's competitive advantage in the reproductive tract.

Sexual Psychology and Behavior Differences Between Men and Women

Women's sexual fantasies tend to involve familiar partners, with 59% of American women focusing on someone they are already involved with romantically and sexually, compared to 28% of men.
Emotions and personality are crucial for women in their sexual fantasies, with 41% of women focusing on the personal and emotional characteristics of their fantasized partner, compared to 16% of men.
Women are more likely to emphasize tenderness, romance, and personal involvement in their sexual fantasies, but there are large individual differences within each gender.
Men, on average, report having a higher sex drive than women in every nation, as shown in a study involving more than 200,000 individuals from 53 nations.
The sex difference in sex drive remains consistent across nations with varying levels of gender equality, contradicting the notion that these differences are caused by economic gender inequality.
Men oriented toward short-term mating are sensitive to detecting sexually attractive women who display cues of vulnerability to being sexually seduced or deceived.
Men found women displaying cues to sexual exploitability to be sexually attractive for short-term mateship but unattractive for a long-term mate.
Men, more than women, regret missed sexual opportunities, while women are more likely to regret acts of sexual commission, wishing they had not had sex with someone they did have sex with.
These gender differences in sexual regret have been replicated in Norway, a sexually egalitarian country, suggesting an evolved feature in men to facilitate acting on future sexual opportunities and avoid entangling commitments.
Studies have shown that men across cultures pursue short-term mating more than women do, providing behavioral evidence to support the long evolutionary history of men seeking short-term mating with a variety of women.
Men's sexual psychology may have evolved to facilitate acting on future sexual opportunities and avoid entangling commitments through feelings of regret and sensitivity to sexually attractive women displaying cues of vulnerability.
Understanding men's sexual psychology can potentially lead to a reduction in sexual exploitation and a deeper understanding of men's behavior in short-term mating.

Evolutionary Perspectives on Women's Sexual Behavior

Women retain 70% of sperm if they have an orgasm, ejecting only 30%, which could add up to a large selection pressure over evolutionary time.
Lack of an orgasm leads to the ejection of more sperm, consistent with the hypothesis that a woman's orgasm functions to draw sperm into the cervical canal and uterus.
Women having affairs time their copulations to coincide with ovulation, increasing the likelihood of conception with their lovers.
Women are more likely to be orgasmic with their affair partner than with their regular partner.
Women are especially likely to experience sexual orgasm with men who are masculine and physically attractive, desired in short-term mating.
Studies in the United States and tribal societies document extramarital sexual unions among women.
College women engage in sexual activities with opposite-sex friends and attempt to initiate hook-ups.
Short-term sexual psychology in women evolved due to adaptive benefits associated with casual sex in some circumstances.
Five classes of benefits have been proposed for short-term mating: resources, genes, mate switching, short-term for long-term mating goals, and mate manipulation.
Resource hypotheses include resource accrual, paternity confusion, protection, and status elevation.
Genetic benefit hypotheses include enhanced fertility and obtaining better or "sexy son" genes.
Other proposed benefits to women of short-term mating include mate switching, short-term for long-term mating goals, and mate manipulation.

Women's Short-Term Mating Strategies

Women unconsciously choose symmetrical men as short-term partners, indicating a preference for good genes.
For casual sex, women prioritize physical attractiveness, desirability to other women, and prefer confident, daring, and successful men.
Women in short-term mating prefer men with masculine facial features, muscular build, and thicker, darker limbal rings, indicating a preference for good genes and health cues.
Studies show that women's preferences shift around ovulation, with increased attraction to symmetrical features, facial and body masculinity, tallness, and social dominance.
Recent large-scale studies have failed to replicate the preference shift for masculine bodies around ovulation.
Women with low-rated partners experience greater sexual desire for extra-pair partners, supporting the hypothesis of seeking good genes for offspring.
Women's short-term mating may serve various evolved functions including mate switching, long-term mating goals, resource acquisition, and obtaining good genes.
Female short-term mating psychology is complex and may involve assessing long-term prospects, acquiring resources, and securing better genes.
Future research aims to explore the complexity of female short-term sexual psychology in different contexts and adaptive benefits.
Context effects and individual differences play a role in women's subjective perceptions of costs and benefits in pursuing short-term mating.
Female sexuality is a valuable reproductive resource, and women may pursue short-term mating to exchange or convert it into other resources.
Future research will clarify which women pursue short-term mating in specific contexts to secure adaptive benefits.

The Evolution of Short-Term Sexual Strategies

The scientific study of mating has historically focused on marriage, but human anatomy and psychology suggest a history of affairs and short-term mating.
Trivers's theory of parental investment and sexual selection suggests ancestral men benefited reproductively from short-term mating through increased offspring.
Empirical evidence strongly supports men's greater desire for short-term mating compared to women, evidenced by various behaviors and psychological differences.
Short-term mating requires the participation of willing women, and there is evidence that women historically engaged in short-term mating.
Women engaging in short-term mating may have reaped adaptive benefits, including economic resources, genetic benefits, mate switching, and short-term goals.
There are detectable individual differences in inclination towards short-term or long-term mating strategies, with specific physical and behavioral cues.
Contextual factors, such as sex ratio and mate value, influence the inclination towards short-term mating in both men and women.
Men with high mate value, indicated by various factors, are more likely to pursue short-term mating, while the link between women's mate value and sexual strategy is more mixed.
Personality characteristics, such as extraversion and low agreeableness, predict an inclination towards short-term mating.
The chapter raises critical thinking questions about how men's psychological proclivities facilitate the success of a short-term mating strategy.
The text emphasizes the importance of understanding the evolutionary and psychological factors that drive short-term mating strategies in men and women.
Future research is expected to provide more insights into the circumstances and personal qualities that cause individuals to shift to short-term or long-term mating strategies.

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Test your knowledge on the evidence for sperm competition and short-term mating in humans with this quiz. Explore topics such as testicular size, sperm production, psychological factors, and cultural influences on mating desires.