Promiscuity: Difference between revisions
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
Added some citations and corrected inaccuracies on arguments in favour/against promiscuity in humans
(Added some citations and corrected inaccuracies on arguments in favour/against promiscuity in humans) |
|||
| Line 2: | Line 2: | ||
'''Promiscuity''' refers to mating with many different partners, possibly strangers, which is often accompanied by low mate choice standards and a high [[sex drive|sexual drive]]. The opposite mating pattern is ''[[monogamy]]'' which refers to sexual exclusivity (pair boding) and often involves high mate choice standards. Promiscuity is often accompanied by a desire for '''sexual variety'''. In behavioral science, the effect of becoming bored of the current mate in order to increase sexual variety is called '''Coolidge effect'''. | '''Promiscuity''' refers to mating with many different partners, possibly strangers, which is often accompanied by low mate choice standards and a high [[sex drive|sexual drive]]. The opposite mating pattern is ''[[monogamy]]'' which refers to sexual exclusivity (pair boding) and often involves high mate choice standards. Promiscuity is often accompanied by a desire for '''sexual variety'''. In behavioral science, the effect of becoming bored of the current mate in order to increase sexual variety is called '''Coolidge effect'''. | ||
In humans, there are large differences in promiscuity in terms of sex outside committed relationships. Female promiscuity, but not male promiscuity is often driven by [[whore|access to resources]]. Further, female promiscuity still involves much higher mate standards compared to males. Female promiscuity also rather occurs more within a pre-selected group of males and backup partners,<ref name="mp">Mogielnicki C, Pearl K. 2020. ''Hominid sexual nature.'' [[https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12064-020-00312-8 Article]]</ref> compared to males who would much more readily copulate with a stranger. | In humans, there are large differences in promiscuity in terms of sex outside committed relationships. Female promiscuity, but not male promiscuity, is often driven by [[whore|access to resources]]. Further, female promiscuity still involves much higher mate standards compared to males. Female promiscuity also rather occurs more within a pre-selected group of males and backup partners,<ref name="mp">Mogielnicki C, Pearl K. 2020. ''Hominid sexual nature.'' [[https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12064-020-00312-8 Article]]</ref> compared to males who would much more readily copulate with a stranger. | ||
== Evolutionary explanation == | ==Evolutionary explanation== | ||
The advantage of promiscuity (from the point of view of the genes) is that it creates lots of offspring that one does not invest into, some of which may make it. More [[life history|r-selected]] species are more promiscuous as they invest less in their offspring. In welfare states men can maximize reproductive success by [[pump and dump|pumping and dumping]] many females and leaving the raising of the offspring to the state or [[betabux]]. | The advantage of promiscuity (from the point of view of the genes) is that it creates lots of offspring that one does not invest into, some of which may make it. More [[life history|r-selected]] species are more promiscuous as they invest less in their offspring. In welfare states men can maximize reproductive success by [[pump and dump|pumping and dumping]] many females and leaving the raising of the offspring to the state or [[betabux]]. | ||
The advantage of sexual variety is also that it increases genetic variety. Combining one's own genes with the genes of many different sex partners increases the chance that one combination is particularly successful, as it increases the genotypic and hence phenotypic diversity of the offspring (with increased variance, an extreme outcome becomes more likely). | The advantage of sexual variety is also that it increases genetic variety. Combining one's own genes with the genes of many different sex partners increases the chance that one combination is particularly successful, as it increases the genotypic and hence phenotypic diversity of the offspring (with increased variance, an extreme outcome becomes more likely). Although it increases the odds of having a single high fitness child, the rest of your children won't be as fit and might in fact be below desired fitness. | ||
== Coolidge effect == | ==Coolidge effect== | ||
The effect of becoming bored with the current mate is especially present in males of many animals. Modern pornography constitutes a superstimulus in this regard, allowing men to constantly being confronted with a sexually willing female, albeit on a screen.<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3vGiBb4qas</ref> | The effect of becoming bored with the current mate is especially present in males of many animals. Modern pornography constitutes a superstimulus in this regard, allowing men to constantly being confronted with a sexually willing female, albeit on a screen.<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3vGiBb4qas</ref> | ||
== Sex differences in promiscuity == | ==Sex differences in promiscuity== | ||
As females often have much higher [[wikipedia:Parental investment|parental investment]], the males are usually much more promiscuous, because females have to lock down a provider male as they are too invested in raising the offspring to gather resources themselves. | As females often have much higher [[wikipedia:Parental investment|parental investment]], the males are usually much more promiscuous, because females have to lock down a provider male as they are too invested in raising the offspring to gather resources themselves. | ||
Both males and females, benefit from sexual variety (though females only if a source of resources is secured). | Both males and females, benefit from sexual variety (though females only if a source of resources is secured). The threat of extra marital sex on the part of females means that men need to engage mate guarding in order to ensure paternity (this is how our monogamous/polygynous mating system came about). Thus, it motivates males to constrain female sexuality, in our ancestors this was mainly done via the infanticide of offspring that were suspect or the homicide of the wife and/or lover. This constitutes a [[sexual conflict]], opposing female [[whoring]] and engagement in [[pump and dump]] on the one side for increasing sexual variety, and culture limiting sexual variety for females on the other. | ||
Female promiscuity gives rise to '''sperm competition''' as it means the sperm needs to compete inside the [[vagina]] and possibly also affecting shape of the [[penis]] so as to be able to scoop out competing sperm. There is | Female promiscuity gives rise to '''sperm competition''' as it means the sperm needs to compete inside the [[vagina]] and possibly also affecting shape of the [[penis]] so as to be able to scoop out competing sperm. There is little "evidence" of female promiscuity in humans; these will be considered and summarized below. | ||
Female promiscuity is also referred to as [[cock carousel]]. | Female promiscuity is also referred to as [[cock carousel]]. | ||
== Human female promiscuity and sperm competition == | ==Human female promiscuity and sperm competition== | ||
Evidence against it: | Evidence against it: | ||
* Sperm volume and testes size smaller than pan with promiscuous females | *Sperm volume and testes size much smaller than pan with promiscuous females | ||
* Cross-culturally high prevalence of monogamy, very low incidence rate of [[polyamory]] | *Cross-culturally high prevalence of monogamy, very low incidence rate of [[polyamory]] | ||
* Despite sexual liberation, no evidence of widespread promiscuity and still very low non-paternity rates | *Despite sexual liberation, no evidence of widespread promiscuity and still very low non-paternity rates | ||
*The simple shape shape of the Human Penis in comparison to promiscuous mating systems<ref>https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sexual-Selection-Origins-Mating-Systems/dp/0199559430</ref> | |||
*We've evolved out of a polygynous mating system like the Gorilla; promiscuous mating systems mating systems in Chimpanzees only evolved after they split from our lineage as evidenced by genes on the Y chromosome involved in sperm production.<ref>https://www.researchgate.net/publication/46170901_Y_Chromosomal_Variation_Tracks_the_Evolution_of_Mating_Systems_in_Chimpanzee_and_Bonobo</ref><ref>https://www.researchgate.net/publication/6582334_The_Evolutionary_History_of_Human_and_Chimpanzee_Y-Chromosome_Gene_Loss</ref> | |||
*The Oviduct in Human Females is much shorter and does not coil as much as more promiscuous primates (longer and more complex oviducts and selected for as a means to 'test' the sperm of the males so as to select the best sperm; a shorter oviduct would thus suggest little need for selecting superior sperm in males and thus implies sperm competition is minimal/non-existent)<ref>https://www.researchgate.net/publication/279429660_Sperm_Competition_in_Mammals?_sg=9a2A4optxFPMUBqhq0q4UYr_294PNUosOZDTCkZSdoVWtreBVXCU4qja2rcdiW5j_KVIs0XXlCswPcA</ref><ref>https://www.researchgate.net/publication/14810355_Coevolution_between_Male_Ejaculates_and_Female_Reproductive_Biology_in_Eutherian_Mammals</ref><ref>https://www.researchgate.net/publication/229958746_Mammalian_sperm_and_oviducts_are_sexually_selected_Evidence_for_co-evolution</ref> | |||
*The relatively small midpiece of human sperm required (comparable to the Gorilla) which indicates a monogamous mating system as larger midpieces are found in promiscuous mating systems<ref>https://www.researchgate.net/publication/11432422_Sperm_competition_-_Motility_and_the_midpiece_in_primates?_sg=Iu7eEJDjjOdBrvQqWOSdwB5n71Gimq72v9sJRBeA_XLXlgFdgf0lXwaNPtCdZ3gbuqsa0zpKDzJ4qjI</ref><ref>https://www.researchgate.net/publication/231916755_Sperm_competition_and_the_evolution_of_sperm_midpiece_volume_in_mammals</ref>; specifically the human sperm midpiece has 15 mitochondria, much less than what can be found in the chimpanzee.<ref>https://www.researchgate.net/publication/18950923_Biology_of_primate_spermatozoa</ref><ref>https://www.researchgate.net/publication/312463724_The_mammalian_spermatozoon_Morphology_biochemistry_and_physiology<br /></ref> | |||
*The Vas Deferens is long and thin in humans (something that is typical of species with low levels of sperm competition)<ref>https://www.researchgate.net/publication/229542547_Sperm_competition_affects_the_structure_of_the_mammalian_vas_deferens?_sg=8WQpAetxLid6-Nzl3Iuslmh-FB2fyO-HmmeWyvHEIZQITncEEr_2CNFCCkNFTZi5mhSoPY8X7fI26VY</ref> | |||
Evidence for it: | Evidence for it: | ||
*Cross-cultural concerns about female promiscuity, giving rise to slut-shaming gossip among females (We hardly find slut shaming in Chimpanzees and other promiscuous mating systems; thus, contrary to what is asserted, would obviously be a feature of a monogamous mating system were women stand to lose much if their pair bonded male leaves them (or not marry and settle down with her) because there are other females whom will more readily give him sex.) | |||
* Cross-cultural concerns about female promiscuity, giving rise to slut-shaming gossip among females | *Women display a kind of Coolidge Effect in marriages sooner than men (Considering that women need to be more invested in parenting, it seems certainly plausible that women get sexually bored quicker than men (if you're having sex too often, who takes care of the kids); if anything this says more about the role of women as mothers rather than an argument for promiscuity) | ||
*High incidence of mate poaching, mate switching, back-burners and relationship instability and a massive decline in long-term monogamous mating in contemporary "liberated" society. (This point is less about female promiscuity and is more evidence of female hypergamy, now that alpha males are more readily available and casual sex is more acceptable, the hypergamous instinct in females intensifies. Back up partners and mate switching is evidence that, when possible, a woman will trade her current partner out for a better mate. To argue for a promiscuous mating system, we need to show that a woman will still exhibit this behaviour even when paired with Alpha males; even chimpanzees will mate with lower status males from time to time in their promiscuous mating system despite the availability of Chads to have sex with females. As it doesn't seem plausible that most females will exhibit mate switching/poaching whilst with Alpha men, this cannot be used as evidence of female promiscuity in Humans) | |||
* Women display a kind of Coolidge Effect in marriages sooner than men | |||
* High incidence of mate poaching, mate switching, back-burners and relationship instability and a massive decline in long-term monogamous mating in contemporary "liberated" society | |||
== References == | ==References== | ||
<references /> | <references /> | ||
== See also == | ==See also== | ||
* [[Pump and dump]] | *[[Human penis|Human Penis]] | ||
* [[Slut]] | *[[Pump and dump]] | ||
* [[Paternity assurance]] | *[[Slut]] | ||
* [[Microchimerism]] | *[[Paternity assurance]] | ||
*[[Microchimerism]] | |||
{{Redpill}} | {{Redpill}} | ||