Buss, Ch. 11

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Buss, Ch. 11
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Conflict between the sexes

• Strategic interference theorywhen strategies of
  one interfere with strategies of another
• Main example mens short term mating, without
  commitment strategies conflict with womens long
  term mating, with commitment strategies

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Strategic interference

• Other conflicts within marriageinfidelity in
  workplacesexual harassment deception in dating
• Negative emotions (upset, anger, disgust) evolved
  to lead to adaptive behavior in reaction to these
  conflicts

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Occurrence timing of sex

• Males want sex sooner with less commitment
  females want more time to evaluate his commitment
  ( other qualities)
• Men can be resource coypreserving their assets
  for long-term mates women guard sexual access
  thus, both can withhold exactly what other seeks

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Sexual intent

• Men over-infer sexual intent
• Friendly women perceived as indicating sexual
  interest by men, not by women (videos, photos,
  etc.)
• K-Mart situation
• Women under-infer commitment intent in men

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Sexual intent

• Men admit to deceiving women about their
  commitment, depth of emotion they feel
• Women admit to deceiving men about their sexual
  interest in order to gain special favors (drinks,
  meal, etc.)
• Errors interpreting intent more costly for women
  than men
• women use courtship costs long discussion with
  friends about dates

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Sexual harassment

• Result of previously mentioned conflicts
• Typical victim young, attractive, single
• Women more upset if harasser is lower status
• Men claim they would find sexual harassment
  flattering (I suspect it might depend on
  characteristics of the woman)

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Sexual aggression

• Women dislike sexual aggression much more than
  many men think they do
• Men often like sexually aggressive women
• Do men have an adaptation to rape under certain
  circumstances, or is rape just a by-product of
  other adaptations? Not yet known

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Is rape an adaptation?

• Two main theories adaptation vs. by-product of
  other adaptations
• No one has determined convincing ways to decide
  between these theories yet
• Do women have anti-rape adaptations?several
  possibilities listed more research needed

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Mate-deprivation hypothesis?

• Is sexual aggression more likely in males who
  dont have sufficient access to females? One
  study found opposite pattern more sexual
  aggression in males with high self-reported
  sexual success such men tend to be short-term
  sexual strategy oriented

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Sexual withholding

• Women withhold sex to preserve their choices of
  top males, to make it more valuable (which allows
  them to demand more commitment of males), and to
  make men perceive them as valuable mates

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Sexual jealousy

• Stronger in men paternity uncertainty is cause
  of strength of reaction
• Reactions can include negative actions toward
  mate rivals, and increased efforts to please
  mate
• Men more jealous about possible sexual cheating
  women more jealous about possible emotional
  cheating why the difference?

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Mate retention tactics

• Men use threats to mate rivals, resource
  displays, and groveling
• Women work on their attractiveness, induce
  jealousy
• When are mate-retention tactics most likely to be
  used?

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Mate retention tactics

• Usually used more when there is suspicion of
  infidelity, but mainly for men (i.e., men
  suspecting mates might cheat or have cheated)
• More common for men with young mates, and mates
  they believe to be attractive
• More common for women when mate has higher income
  and is status-striving

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Violence toward partners

• Men use violence as a mate-retention tactic
  women who leave mates are at high risk of
  violence
• Logic of such violence idle threats become
  ineffectivesometimes must be followed through
• Young and attractive women at greater risk of
  violent mate-retention tactics

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Violence toward partners

• Men who lack resources more likely to be violent
  (poor unemployed males can be a risk)

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Conflicts over resources

• Co-evolution of womens preferences for men with
  resources, and men competing with one another for
  resources
• Co-evolution of mens attraction to womens
  physical beauty women competing with one
  another in attractiveness

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