Female Virtual Intrasexual Competition and Its Consequences

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jose C. Yong ◽  
Norman P. Li ◽  
Katherine A. Valentine ◽  
April R. Smith
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Selection ◽  
Physical Attractiveness ◽  
Deep Level ◽  
Intrasexual Competition ◽  
Same Sex ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Psychological States ◽  
Psychological Mechanisms ◽  
Real People ◽  
Key Dimensions

Intrasexual competition is a key component of sexual selection. Evolutionarily, women compete for access to and retention of mates on key dimensions that men have evolved to value and prioritize in their long- and short-term mates, in particular physical attractiveness. Such competition evolved to be adaptive in ancestral environments as the perceived competition consisted of real individuals. However, underlying psychological mechanisms for competition are excessively triggered and more continuously engaged in modern environments, because these psychological mechanisms for social comparison and competition, at a deep level, do not differentiate between real people and imagined intrasexual competition in the form of mass media images. Utilizing an evolutionary mismatch framework, this chapter explores ways that women are psychologically influenced by the pervasive presence of virtual same-sex competitors for mates. Various negative psychological states in modern societies (e.g., depression, eating disorders) may be linked to virtual intrasexual competition.

Women’s Strategic Defenses Against Same-Sex Aggression: Evidence From Sartorial Behavior

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 770-781
Author(s):  
Jaimie Arona Krems ◽  
Ashley M. Rankin ◽  
Stefanie B. Northover
Keyword(s):  
Physical Attractiveness ◽  
Intrasexual Competition ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Same Sex ◽  
Sexual Permissiveness ◽  
Intrasexual Aggression ◽  
Individual Features ◽  
Significant Attention

Women’s intrasexual competition has received significant attention only in the last decades, with even less work investigating women’s defenses against such aggression. Yet, we should expect that women can (a) grasp which perceptually-salient cues evoke same-sex aggression and (b) strategically damp the display of (some of) those cues when aggression risk is greatest, thereby avoiding the potentially high costs of victimization. Women selectively aggress against women displaying cues of sexual permissiveness (e.g., revealing dress) and/or desirability (e.g., physical attractiveness). We find that (a) women (and men) anticipate greater intrasexual aggression toward women dressed revealingly versus modestly, especially if targets are attractive. Employing behavioral and self-report measures, we also find (b) women create outfits baring less skin, select more modest clothing, and intend to dress less revealingly to encounter other women, flexibly damping permissiveness cues depending on individual features (physical attractiveness) and situational features (being a newcomer) that amplify aggression risk.

scholarly journals Size Dimorphism, Intrasexual Competition, and Sexual Selection in Wattled Jacana (Jacana Jacana), A Sex-Role-Reversed Shorebird in Panama

The Auk ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 121 (2) ◽  
pp. 391-403 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen T. Emlen ◽  
Peter H. Wrege
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Selection ◽  
Parental Care ◽  
Sex Role ◽  
Intrasexual Competition ◽  
Operational Sex Ratio ◽  
Same Sex ◽  
Size Dimorphism ◽  
Future Reproduction ◽  
The Republic ◽  
Reproductive Rates

AbstractWe studied sexual size dimorphism, intrasexual competition, and sexual selection in an individually marked population of Wattled Jacanas (Jacana jacana) in the Republic of Panama. Males are the sole incubators of eggs (28-day incubation) and primary providers of chick care (50–60 days). Females were 48% heavier than, and behaviorally dominant over, males. Females also showed greater development of secondary sexual characters (fleshy facial ornamentation and wing spurs) than males. Both sexes defended territories throughout the year against same-sex conspecifics. Competition for territorial space was intense, and many individuals of both sexes did not become breeders. Resident females further competed with one another to accumulate multiple mates, resulting in a mating system of simultaneous polyandry. Female and male residents (territory holders) were larger, heavier, and more ornamented than adult floaters of the same sex. Larger and heavier females also had more mates than smaller females. Body size was thus a critical predictor of success in intrasexual competition for territories (both sexes) and for mates (females). Three measures of sexual selection—(1) sex difference in the opportunity for sexual selection, (2) female-to-male ratio of potential reproductive rates, and (3) operational sex ratio—each indicated that sexual selection is currently operating more strongly on females than on males (female-to-male ratios ranged from 1.43:1 to 2.22:1). Values of 1.61:1 and 1.43:1 represent the first published quantitative estimates of the opportunity for sexual selection for any sex-role-reversed bird. Our study supports the theory that when increased parental care entails reduced opportunities for future reproduction, asymmetries in parental care behaviors of the sexes can influence the intensity of competition for mates and the direction and strength of sexual selection.

scholarly journals Sex ratio effects on reproductive strategies in humans

2015 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 140402 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryan Schacht ◽  
Monique Borgerhoff Mulder
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Selection ◽  
Sex Ratio ◽  
Ethnic Group ◽  
Reproductive Strategies ◽  
Situational Factors ◽  
Male Mating ◽  
Mating Effort ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Adult Sex Ratio ◽  
Using Data

Characterizations of coy females and ardent males are rooted in models of sexual selection that are increasingly outdated. Evolutionary feedbacks can strongly influence the sex roles and subsequent patterns of sex differentiated investment in mating effort, with a key component being the adult sex ratio (ASR). Using data from eight Makushi communities of southern Guyana, characterized by varying ASRs contingent on migration, we show that even within a single ethnic group, male mating effort varies in predictable ways with the ASR. At male-biased sex ratios, men's and women's investment in mating effort are indistinguishable; only when men are in the minority are they more inclined towards short-term, low investment relationships than women. Our results support the behavioural ecological tenet that reproductive strategies are predictable and contingent on varying situational factors.

From Dating to Mating and Relating: Predictors of Initial and Long–Term Outcomes of Speed–Dating in a Community Sample

2011 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 16-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jens B. Asendorpf ◽  
Lars Penke ◽  
Mitja D. Back
Keyword(s):  
Social Relations ◽  
Physical Attractiveness ◽  
Romantic Relationship ◽  
Community Sample ◽  
Long Term Outcomes ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Social Relations Model ◽  
Speed Dating ◽  
Partner Similarity

We studied initial and long–term outcomes of speed–dating over a period of 1 year in a community sample involving 382 participants aged 18–54 years. They were followed from their initial choices of dating partners up to later mating (sexual intercourse) and relating (romantic relationship). Using Social Relations Model analyses, we examined evolutionarily informed hypotheses on both individual and dyadic effects of participants’ physical characteristics, personality, education and income on their dating, mating and relating. Both men and women based their choices mainly on the dating partners’ physical attractiveness, and women additionally on men's sociosexuality, openness to experience, shyness, education and income. Choosiness increased with age in men, decreased with age in women and was positively related to popularity among the other sex, but mainly for men. Partner similarity had only weak effects on dating success. The chance for mating with a speed–dating partner was 6%, and was increased by men's short–term mating interest; the chance for relating was 4%, and was increased by women's long–term mating interest. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Sexual Competition among Women

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven Arnocky ◽  
Tracy Vaillancourt
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Physical Attractiveness ◽  
Romantic Partners ◽  
Indirect Aggression ◽  
Female Competition ◽  
Biparental Care ◽  
Same Sex ◽  
Sexual Competition ◽  
Theory Of Evolution ◽  
Opposite Sex

Darwin (1871) observed in his theory of evolution by means of sexual selection that “it is the males who fight together and sedulously display their charms before the female” (p. 272). Researchers examining intrasexual competition have since focused disproportionately on male competition for mates, with female competition receiving far less attention. In this chapter, we review evidence that women do indeed compete with one another to secure and maintain reproductive benefits. We begin with an overview of the evolutionary theory of competition among women, with a focus on biparental care and individual differences in men’s mate value. We discuss why competition among women is characteristically different from that of men and highlight evidence supporting women’s use of epigamic display of physical attractiveness characteristics and indirect aggression toward same-sex peers and opposite-sex romantic partners as sexually competitive tactics. Finally, individual differences in competition among women are discussed.

Selected to Kill in His Name

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yael Sela ◽  
Nicole Barbaro
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Selection ◽  
Parental Investment ◽  
Mate Guarding ◽  
Wife Beating ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Evolutionary Perspective ◽  
Genital Mutilation ◽  
Psychological Mechanisms ◽  
Evolved Psychological Mechanisms ◽  
Sexual Selection Theory

Religion motivates, exacerbates, and even justifies violence. This chapter argues that religious beliefs regarding violence—particularly those of monotheistic, Abrahamic faiths—are shaped by evolved psychological mechanisms. Further, it argues that religiously motivated violence is most likely to occur in evolutionarily relevant contexts. Guided by sexual selection theory and parental-investment theory, it first provides an overview of human sexual selection from an evolutionary perspective. It discusses how and why an evolutionary perspective—and principles of sexual selection and parental investment in particular—may provide a richer understanding of religiously motivated violence. Next follows an overview of research addressing several types of religiously motivated violence such as mate guarding and controlling behaviors, wife beating and uxoricide, honor killing, child abuse and filicide, male and female genital mutilation, war, and terrorism. Finally, it highlights the parallels between religiously motivated violence and evolved psychological mechanisms for violence, concluding with suggestions for future research.

scholarly journals The Silent Killer: Consequences of Climate Change and How to Survive Past the Year 2050

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 3757
Author(s):  
Anna Laura Huckelba ◽  
Paul A. M. Van Lange
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Behavioral Change ◽  
Social Dilemma ◽  
Psychological Perspective ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Comprehensive Overview ◽  
Psychological Mechanisms ◽  
Self Interest ◽  
The World

There is strong scientific consensus that the climate is drastically changing due to increasing levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, and that these changes are largely due to human behavior. Scientific estimates posit that by 2050, we will begin to experience some of the most damaging consequences of climate change, which will only worsen as the world becomes more populated and resources become scarcer. Considerable progress has been made to explore technological solutions, yet useful insights from a psychological perspective are still lacking. Understanding whether and how individuals and groups cope with environmental dilemmas is the first step to combatting climate change. The key challenge is how can we reduce a tendency to inaction and to understand the psychological obstacles for behavioral change that reduce climate change. We provide a social dilemma analysis of climate change, emphasizing three important ingredients: people need to recognize their own impact on the climate, there is conflict between self-interest and collective interests, and there is a temporal dilemma involving a conflict between short-term and longer-term interest. Acknowledging these features, we provide a comprehensive overview of psychological mechanisms that support inaction, and close by discussing potential solutions. In particular, we offer recommendations at the level of individuals, communities, and governments.

scholarly journals Intrasexual Competition as a Predictor of Women’s Judgments of Revenge Pornography Offending

Sexual Abuse ◽  
2019 ◽  
pp. 107906321989430 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dean Fido ◽  
Craig A. Harper ◽  
Mia A. Davis ◽  
Dominic Petronzi ◽  
Sophie Worrall
Keyword(s):  
Physical Attractiveness ◽  
Empirical Investigation ◽  
Intrasexual Competition ◽  
Male Victims ◽  
Callous Unemotional ◽  
Callous Unemotional Traits ◽  
Unemotional Traits ◽  
Victimization History

Recent legislative developments have led to a marked increase in the empirical investigation of motivations and judgments of so-called acts of “revenge pornography” offending. In two independently sampled studies, we used moderation analyses to investigate whether higher levels of intrasexual competition predicted more lenient judgments of revenge pornography offenses as a function of sex (Study 1, N = 241), and whether such relationships would be further moderated by physical attractiveness (Study 2, N = 402). Potential covariates of callous-unemotional traits, empathy, and victimization history were controlled for. Opposing our hypotheses, we consistently observed a trend for higher levels of intrasexual competition being associated with more lenient judgments of revenge pornography offenses involving male victims by female participants. The results are discussed in terms of intrasexual competition potentially sharing variance with unobserved constructs in the wider sexological literature, and of the key relevance of these findings for future empirical investigation into judgments of nonconsensual image–based offending.

scholarly journals Sexual unfaithfulness can be judged with some accuracy from men's but not women's faces

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 181552 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yong Zhi Foo ◽  
Antonina Loncarevic ◽  
Leigh W. Simmons ◽  
Clare A. M. Sutherland ◽  
Gillian Rhodes
Keyword(s):  
Biological Significance ◽  
Mate Guarding ◽  
Mating Strategies ◽  
Reproductive Costs ◽  
Same Sex ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Facial Masculinity ◽  
Opposite Sex

We routinely make judgements of trustworthiness from the faces of others. However, the accuracy of such judgements remains contentious. An important context for trustworthiness judgements is sexual unfaithfulness. Accuracy in sexual unfaithfulness judgements may be adaptive for avoiding reproductive costs associated with having an unfaithful partner. Indeed, emerging studies suggest that women, and to a lesser degree, men, show above-chance accuracy in judging sexual unfaithfulness from opposite-sex faces. In the context of mate guarding, it is important not only to assess the likelihood of a partner defecting, but also to detect same-sex poachers. Therefore, here, we examine whether individuals can also judge sexual unfaithfulness (self-reported cheating and poaching behaviour) from same-sex faces. We found above-chance accuracy in judgements of unfaithfulness from same-sex faces in men but not women. Conversely, we found above-chance accuracy for opposite-sex faces in women but not men. Therefore, both men and women showed above-chance accuracy, but only for men's, and not women's, faces. Raters were making accurate (above-chance) judgements of unfaithfulness from men's faces using facial masculinity, a well-established signal of propensity to adopt short-term mating strategies. In summary, we found above-chance accuracy in impressions of unfaithfulness from men's faces. Although very modest, the level of accuracy could nevertheless have biological significance as an evolved adaptation for identifying potential cheaters/poachers.

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