Status and Sexual Access in Societies

High-status men are preferred mates by women, often due to their ability to provide resources, protection, or better health care.

Women in polygynous societies may prefer high-status men over low-status men when sharing resources.

Dominant males might use force or intimidation to gain access to mates from subordinate males.

High status can lead to greater sexual opportunities for males in some social groupings due to mate preferences or intrasexual dominance.

Males with lower status may avoid conflict with high-status males, even if their mates are taken.

Dominant males can secure greater sexual access through preference from females or by force.

High-status brother took lower-status brother's wife, demonstrating the risk of low-status males lacking retaliation.

The provided text suggests that there's evidence linking higher social status in males with more opportunities in mating.

A significant portion of men across a large region, specifically in Mongolia and surrounding areas, are likely descendants of Genghis Khan due to his numerous wives and large harem.

Men who are high in status have greater access to more sexual partners.

High-status men in various cultures, regardless of their subsistence patterns, often have greater reproductive success, including more wives, higher fertility, and more surviving offspring.

High-status men's increased sexual access often comes from short-term relationships, such as affairs or 'friends with benefits'.

In polygamous societies, high-status men have more wives, higher fertility rates, and lower offspring mortality compared to lower-status men.

Men who score high on social dominance tend to have more extramarital affairs.

In monogamous societies, high-status men tend to marry younger women, who are more reproductively valuable, compared to lower-status men.

Socially dominant adolescent males are more sexually active than their low-status peers.

Historically, kings and powerful men kept large numbers of women, known as harems, as a symbol of their status and power, granting them extensive sexual access.

High-status men tend to have more frequent sex and a larger number of children.

Modern Western cultures with legally enforced monogamy limit the number of wives a man can take, effectively ending the widespread practice of harems.

High-status men tend to marry women who are more physically attractive.

Across diverse societies, higher status significantly influences men's reproductive outcomes, demonstrating the impact of power and dominance on mating.

High-status men often seek out younger, more fertile women.

Genetic analyses, particularly in regions like Mongolia and Ireland, confirm that high-status males through history often had significantly more descendants than lower-status males.

Across cultures, even in modern society, there is a link between a man's status and his sexual access to attractive women.

The idea that men are more driven to achieve high status compared to women, possibly due to evolutionary pressures related to mating opportunities.

A type of play typical of boys, involving physical activity, competition, and dominance displays. It is often linked to their higher status striving tendencies.

Boys often use language for self-assertion and dominance, while girls use it more for social connection and building relationships.

Sex differences in dominance motivation are observed early in life. Boys are more likely to engage in competitive acts like rough play and dominance challenges.

A personality trait measuring an individual's preference for social hierarchies and dominance. Men tend to score higher in SDO.

Differences in temperament between men and women, including differences in aggressiveness and risk-taking, may contribute to differences in status and income in adulthood.

Several studies across different cultures have found evidence suggesting men are more driven by status and dominance, even from a young age.

Historically, high-status men often had more sexual access, leading to the evolutionary pressure for men to strive for higher status to gain reproductive advantages.

The theory suggests that men's higher SDO scores are linked to evolutionary advantages in mate selection and resource control. Women, in turn, may have evolved to favor men with high SDO as it potentially benefits their offspring.

Men consistently score higher on SDO than women across various cultures and demographics, supporting the evolutionary explanation for a difference in dominance motivation between genders.

While both genders express dominance, they do so through different behaviors and actions. The study identified 100 dominance-related acts, highlighting distinct patterns between men and women.

High SDO individuals tend to favor strategies that secure more resources for themselves and their in-group, potentially benefiting from the resources and advantages associated with dominance.

Those endorsing SDO often prioritize status and power, believing that it is necessary to get ahead in life. They may justify discriminatory practices to maintain their own position within a hierarchical system.

SDO is a significant predictor of prejudice and discrimination against outgroups. Individuals high in SDO are more likely to endorse social policies that maintain hierarchies and unequal distribution of power.

Individuals high in SDO often justify their behaviors and beliefs by appealing to moral principles that reinforce the dominance hierarchy. They may see their own group's superiority as ethically justified.

A type of dominance that benefits the group, like taking charge to help everyone.

A type of dominance focused on personal gain, often at the expense of others.

Women tend to express dominance through actions that help the group, like organizing a project or settling a dispute.

Men tend to express dominance through actions that benefit them personally, such as managing to get their own way.

A study that examined the effect of dominance on leadership in a laboratory setting.

Dominant women often engage in activities that benefit the group as a whole.

Dominant men tend to use their power for their own benefit, often manipulating situations to get what they want.

Men and women express dominance differently - women prioritize group needs while men focus on personal gain.