Absence Makes the Adaptations Grow Fonder Melissa Gomez, Gloria Gutierrez, Melissa Eldridge & Alex Cowling Shackelford, T. K., Goetz, A. T., McKibbin, W. F., & Starratt, V. G. (2007). Absence makes the adaptations grow fonder: Proportion of time apart from partner, male sexual psychology, and sperm competition in humans (Homo sapiens). Journal of Comparative Psychology, 121(2),

Previous research agrees that… 1. When males concurrently occupy the same female reproductive tract, there is sperm competition. 2. Males may be physiologically adaptive to sperm competition however, recent findings suggest the possibility of psychological mechanisms designed to combat sperm competition. 3. Previous research also maintains that in proportion to the time apart from partner since last copulation, men reported higher ratings of partner attractiveness, copulation interest, other male ratings of partner attractiveness, and if their partner was sexually attracted to them; which suggests the possibility for a higher male motivation for copulation.

Hypotheses of the Present Study Males have psychological adaptations to sperm competition. A man who spends a greater (relative to a man who spends a lesser) proportion of time apart from his partner since the couple’s last copulation will report greater sexual interest in his partner greater distress following his partner’s denial of a request for copulation greater sexual persistence following his partner’s denial of a request for copulation *independent of the total time since the couple’s last copulation and the man’s relationship satisfaction*

Findings The greater proportion of time a man spends apart from his mate after copulation, the more interested he will become in copulating with his mate the greater the man’s sexual distress and subsequent persistence to copulate with his mate will be if denied sex The psychological need to inseminate in one’s spouse as soon as possible exists regardless of whether or not a male is satisfied with his relationship and only increases with the proportion of time that the couple is away from one another after copulating A couple in which the male lacks trust in the faithfulness of his spouse may have the same heightened interest and distress in copulating with his spouse after a smaller proportion of time. This would indicate that the same psychological adaptations may occur in some cases, independently of the proportion of time spent apart since a couple’s most recent copulation.

VIDEO

(thumbs up) Supporting greater sexual interest in a partner was effectively discussed using the Strategic Inference Theory Physiological Adaptation: when the risk of a female engaging in sexual relations with other men is high, her spouse will output more sperm in the act of copulation. Men who have the psychological means to motivate themselves to copulate with their mate as soon as they can (in cases that the female has engaged in copulation with other males) have passed on more genes than men who were not able to adapt psychologically.

(thumbs down) Operationalization of sperm competition as a proportion of time spent apart since last copulation causes Operationalization of “distress” should be more specifically defined Survey Question: Hypothetic VS Actual

The End Thanks for listening :]