bims-chumac 2021-07-11 papers

bims-chumac

Biomed News

on Context effects on human mate choice

Issue of 2021–07–11
seven papers selected by
Thomas Krichel, Open Library Society

Sex Differences in Voyeuristic and Exhibitionistic Interests: Exploring the Mediating Roles of Sociosexuality and Sexual Compulsivity from an Evolutionary Perspective.
Who's Behind the Makeup? The Effects of Varying Levels of Cosmetics Application on Perceptions of Facial Attractiveness, Competence, and Sociosexuality.
Gender differences in mate selection criteria among university students in Bangladesh: A study from the social homogamy perspective.
Perception of workplace social-sexual behavior as sexual harassment post #MeToo in Scandinavia.
The widowed identity: identity transformations of the silent generation and the influence of time.
Marital Surname Change and Marital Duration Among Divorcées in a Canadian County.
Making sense of fidelity: young Africans' cross-national and longitudinal representations of fidelity and infidelity in their HIV-related creative narratives, 1997-2014.

Arch Sex Behav. 2021 Jul 06.

Sex Differences in Voyeuristic and Exhibitionistic Interests: Exploring the Mediating Roles of Sociosexuality and Sexual Compulsivity from an Evolutionary Perspective.

Andrew George Thomas, Bridie Stone, Paul Bennett, Steve Stewart-Williams, Leif Edward Ottesen Kennair.

  Sociosexuality and sexual compulsivity predict sex differences in voyeuristic interest in the population. In this study, we used a sample of 1113 participants from the UK (46% men) to consider whether sociosexuality and sexual compulsivity interacted to explain these sex differences and whether this relationship extended to the related domain of exhibitionism. In doing so, we tested novel predictions derived from an evolutionary perspective which views voyeuristic and exhibitionistic interest as manifestations of a short-term mating strategy. Participants reported their levels of repulsion toward voyeurism and exhibitionism and their interest in performing such acts under different levels of risk. There were clear sex differences in voyeuristic and exhibitionistic repulsion that were partially mediated by the serial combination of sociosexuality and sexual compulsivity. Examining the sexes separately revealed qualitatively different relationships between sociosexuality and sexual compulsivity when predicting exhibitionistic, but not voyeuristic, repulsion. Combined, sociosexuality and sexual compulsivity also mediated the sex difference in willingness to commit acts of voyeurism, but not exhibitionism, which was equally low for both sexes. The results highlight the role sociosexuality plays in voyeuristic and exhibitionistic interest, which coupled with an evolutionary perspective, may have implications for how we view courtship disorders.

Keywords:  Evolutionary psychology; Exhibitionism; Mating strategies; Sex differences; Sociosexuality; Voyeurism

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-021-01991-0
Front Psychol. 2021 ;12 661006

Who's Behind the Makeup? The Effects of Varying Levels of Cosmetics Application on Perceptions of Facial Attractiveness, Competence, and Sociosexuality.

Erick R Aguinaldo, Jessie J Peissig.

  Research has demonstrated a positive effect of makeup on facial attractiveness (Cash et al., 1989; Russell, 2003; Etcoff et al., 2011). Makeup has also been found to influence social perceptions (Etcoff et al., 2011; Klatt et al., 2016). While researchers have typically compared faces with makeup to faces without makeup, we propose that perceived effects will differ based on the amount of makeup that is applied. To test the effects of varying levels of makeup on perceived facial attractiveness, competence, and sociosexuality, participants assessed 35 faces with no makeup, light makeup, and heavy makeup; makeup was self-applied by participants, not applied by a makeup artist or the experimenter. Participants rated faces with makeup (either light or heavy) as more competent than those without makeup. In addition, participants rated faces with heavy makeup as significantly higher in attractiveness and sociosexuality than faces with light makeup. These results differ from previous research findings that faces with light makeup (applied by professional makeup artists) are perceived as most attractive. Our results suggest that when makeup is self-applied, faces with heavy makeup are perceived as more attractive and sociosexual than faces with light makeup, and faces with any level of makeup are rated as more competent.

Keywords:  attractiveness; competence; cosmetics; facial attractiveness; makeup; sociosexuality

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.661006
Heliyon. 2021 Jun;7(6): e07378

Gender differences in mate selection criteria among university students in Bangladesh: A study from the social homogamy perspective.

Md Nurul Islam.

  Gender differences in mate selection criteria across cultures are common. In various cross-cultural research, these gender differences are explained by different socio-cultural theories. Therefore, the present study was aimed to investigate gender differences in mate selection criteria in Bangladeshi culture and to explain these differences by the social homogamy theory. An unstructured interview method was followed to obtain the aim of the study. A total of 120 unmarried Bangladeshi university students were chosen to participate the study whose age were ranging from 21 to 24 years (M = 22.45, SD = 1.75). The participants were selected by a convenient sampling method from four universities in Bangladesh. They were equally divided in terms of gender and university. A total of twelve mate selection criteria were found in the study, in which each student averagely responded 7.23 criteria. The highest and lowest number of responses were observed in education (n = 108) and residential status (n = 33) criterion, respectively. The top-ranked criterion considered by male and female students was physical attractiveness and education respectively. Gender difference in mate selection preferences was found to be significant in the study. Though, gender difference was significant in age, education, financial status, physical appearance, physical attractiveness, and profession criterion; however, the gender difference was not significant in character, in-law family's education, in-law family's social approval, religion, region, and residential status. Mate selection criteria considered by Bangladeshi students are explained by the social homogamy theory. The study would help Bangladeshi people to be aware of their mate selection in their own Bangladeshi culture.

Keywords:  Cultural studies; Gender differences; Mate selection; Social homogamy theory; Unstructured interview

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e07378
Scand J Psychol. 2021 Jul 07.

Perception of workplace social-sexual behavior as sexual harassment post #MeToo in Scandinavia.

Andrea M Kessler, Leif Edward Ottesen Kennair, Trond V Grøntvedt, Ida Bjørkheim, Idun Drejer, Mons Bendixen.

  In this study we examined how people perceive social-sexual behavior of women and men, and how these perceptions were associated with beliefs about the outcomes of the #MeToo movement, sexism, traditional values, and gender equality. In addition, we examined the effect of having experienced sexual harassment on such perceptions. Analyses were performed on a Norwegian snowball social media sample covering 321 women and 168 men, aged 18-59 (M = 33.1). Outcome variables covered perceptions of scenarios that described opposite-sex social-sexual behaviors performed by female and male actors within the workplace environment. Path analysis showed that negative beliefs about the outcomes of the #MeToo movement was the principal predictor for perception of female and male social-sexual behavior as sexual harassment for women and men participants. Traditional values, gender equality, and hostile sexism toward women were all associated with perception of social-sexual behavior as sexual harassment, however the effects of these variables were only indirect and fully accounted for by the effect of negative #MeToo beliefs. For women, having experienced sexual harassment was associated with hostile sexism toward men, but had no effect on the perceptions over and above the effect of the other variables in the model. The predictors on participants' perceptions were highly similar for women and men and for evaluations of female and male actors. Theoretical and methodological implications are discussed.

Keywords:  #MeToo; hostile sexism; perception; sexual harassment; social-sexual behavior

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1111/sjop.12763
J Women Aging. 2021 Jul 05. 1-12

The widowed identity: identity transformations of the silent generation and the influence of time.

Bridget Cowan Longoria.

  Divorce and death of a husband are two life events that leave older women without a life partner. But they have very different impacts. In a divorce, an older woman goes through a legal and emotional process that results in an unambiguous identity as a single woman. But the death of a husband often leaves older women in an ambiguous situation where they are physically alone but still perceived - - by themselves and others - - as part of a couple. This may be especially true for older women, because their self-identities were forged in an era when a woman's identity was subordinated to that of her husband. Additionally, while some women become widows suddenly, others experienced a prolonged dying process that gave them time to adjust to widowhood. In the latter case the older widow has more in common with her divorced counterpart, that is, she is more likely to have an unambiguous identity as a single woman.

Keywords:  Widow; aging; hospice effect; identity transformation; role-exit; time to adjust

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1080/08952841.2021.1948790
Front Psychol. 2021 ;12 647942

Marital Surname Change and Marital Duration Among Divorcées in a Canadian County.

Melanie MacEacheron.

  Women's marital surname change has been discussed as comprising one possible signal of intention to remain married, and may be perceived as such, and valued, by husbands. Here, the practice was investigated as a potential predictor of marital duration among couples who went on to divorce. An archival analysis was based on a search of all available, opposite-sex divorces filed over an 8-month period in a Canadian county. Among couples (n = 107) divorcing, marriages the women in which underwent marital surname change lasted 60% longer, controlling for wife's age at the time of marriage. When the woman's marital surname change/retention was used as a regression predictor of number of children of the marriage alongside marriage duration in years, only the latter was predictive. No husband took his wife's surname. Giving the maternal surname (along with the paternal surname) to children occurred at a negligible frequency. Potential reasons for these findings including costly signaling and, ultimately, paternity uncertainty, as well as possible implications for public policy, are discussed.

Keywords:  Canada; divorce; marital surname change; marriage duration; number of children of the marriage

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.647942
SAHARA J. 2021 Dec;18(1): 86-97

Making sense of fidelity: young Africans' cross-national and longitudinal representations of fidelity and infidelity in their HIV-related creative narratives, 1997-2014.

Robyn Singleton, Manon Billaud, Haley McLeod, Georges Tiendrebeogo, Fatim Dia, Chris Obong'o, Siphiwe Nkambule-Vilakati, Benjamin Mbakwem, Gaelle Sabben, Kate Winskell.

  Mutual fidelity and partner reduction have been identified as key behavioural strategies to prevent HIV transmission in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly following recognition of the role that multiple concurrent sexual partnerships play in driving generalised HIV epidemics. We analysed social representations of fidelity and infidelity in a sample of 1,343 narratives about HIV written by young Africans between 1997 and 2014. The narratives were written at four different time points (1997, 2005, 2008, 2014) by authors aged 10-24 in urban and rural areas of Senegal, Burkina Faso, South-east Nigeria, Kenya and Eswatini. We combined three analytical approaches: descriptive statistics of quantifiable characteristics of the narratives, thematic data analysis and a narrative-based approach. In the sample, fidelity is often promoted as the ideal by narrators, peers and romantic partners, in line with broader discourses around HIV prevention, romantic relationships, familial obligations, and religious and moral imperatives. However, mutual fidelity is rarely modelled in the narratives and representations of combining methods to prevent HIV from entering relationships via infidelity are uncommon. Representations of fidelity reflect loss-framed fear arousal techniques that perpetuate HIV-related stigma. Narrative-based approaches that facilitate skills-building, critical reflection and address stigma can better address fidelity and partner reduction.

Keywords:  Fidelity; HIV; multiple concurrent sexual partners; qualitative; sub-Saharan Africa; young people

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1080/17290376.2021.1950042