Research examining interest in stimuli associated with evolved reproductive motivations has demonstrated sex differences in preferences for potential mates and infants, as well as traits and states associated with increased attention to same-sex rivals. Manipulations of reproductive motivations (e.g., mate searching) have also been shown to affect visual attention to these types of stimuli. Most of this work has focused on physical attractiveness in adult targets, which evolutionary theories of mate preferences suggest is less important than social status for women's mate selection, and no research to date has measured patterns of visual attention to infants. Additionally, the stimuli used in past research tend to have low ecological validity and it is not known whether the preferences displayed generalize to the perception of more realistic stimuli. Finally, the potential effects of circulating testosterone on attention to reproductively relevant stimuli have been studied only in very limited ways in men. In the current project, participants self-reported personality traits and characteristics associated with relationships and sexuality, provided samples for analysis of circulating testosterone, were selected to undergo either a jealousy inducing or anxiety-inducing priming task, and were shown low and high ecological validity stimuli displaying reproductively relevant figures. Major findings include more similarity between the sexes than is usually assumed and weaker preferences for potential mates with high mate value in high ecological validity scenes than low ecological validity scenes. Suggestions for future research include applying the theory of strategic pluralism to within-person variability in attention to reproductively relevant stimuli.

Thesis (M.A. ( Clinical Psychology)) -- University of Limpopo, 2013 / This study investigated the relationship between the ‘dark triad’ personality traits and risky sexual behaviour (sociosexuality), and the effect of gender on the relationship. Participants consisted of two hundred and twenty-two (222) University of Limpopo students. Correlation analysis results indicate that, among males, primary psychopathy is positively associated with overall sociosexuality and secondary psychopathy is negatively associated with the behavioural component of sociosexualiy. Primary, secondary and overall psychopathy was positively related to risky sexual behaviour (sociosexuality). However, Machiavellianism, narcissism and overall psychopathy were not related to all dimensions of sociosexuality. Regression analysis results revealed that very few ‘dark triad’ personality traits have the capacity to predict risky sexual behaviour (sociosexuality). High risk socio-sexual behavioural features were predicted by the ‘dark triad’ personality traits mostly among females than among males. There were comparatively more factors associated with risky sexual behaviour among females than males in this sample. Generally, the ‘dark triad’ personality traits varied in relating with features of risky sexual behaviour. The nature of the relationship of ‘dark triad’ personality traits depends on the particular type of risky sexual behaviour. This is contrary to previous empirical findings that suggest that, when measured in a normal sample, correlates of the ‘dark triad’ personality traits will be the same. Recommendations were made on the basis of the results. Key words: ‘dark triad’, narcissism, psychopathy, Machiavellianism, sociosexuality.

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This dissertation project investigated fluctuations in estradiol and testosterone across the human menstrual cycle. During the part of the cycle when women are most fertile, women show stronger preferences for men with more masculine faces, and these preference changes may be related to changes in hormone levels during ovulation. The present study investigated preferences changes among women for higher testosterone men over the menstrual cycle as estradiol and testosterone in those women fluctuated. 32 women participated in this 5-week long study tracking their estradiol and testosterone levels and preferences for masculine men. Women with higher levels of estradiol preferred men who had higher levels of testosterone than women who had lower levels of estradiol. During ovulation, women were more like to find high testosterone men more attractive than other parts of the menstrual cycle. In addition to ratings of men, several other psychological tests were administered and examined for changes as a function of state and trait levels of hormones.

Using evolutionary and sociocultural theories, the current study examined what people consider important when entering an age gap relationship, willingness to accept a potential age discrepant partner, likelihood of entering an age gap relationship, and the importance of sex in relationships. Differences were predicted for older and younger potential partners as well as for short term or long term relationships in participants 30-50 years old. However, it seems that only men are willing to break dating norms for casual relationships, while women chose the traditional older male-younger woman relationship. For marriage, the pattern showed that participants preferred the traditional older male-younger female relationship, as well.

The thesis is divided into three parts. The first part is focused on the main theories of human mating strategies, such as sociosexual orientation and sexual strategies theory, which emphasizes intersexual differences as a result from the asymmetry of parental investment, and strategic pluralism theory, which highlights intrasexual variation in mating behavior. The second part consists of one review article published in the Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science and one original research article published in The Journal of Sex Research, a peer-reviewed journal. In this part we explored possible evolutionary origins and adaptive values of paraphilic interests and their prevalence in the Czech population. The third part consist of one article published in the peer-reviewed journal Personality and Individual Differences and two research studies which are currently under peer-review in two international journals. The main aim of this part was to test whether individual differences in femininity-masculinity, Big Five personality traits, and propensity to sexual excitation and inhibition are associated with individual sociosexual orientation. A further aim was to test whether attention towards sexual stimuli is affected by an individual's level of sociosexual orientation and by depressive...

Casual sex is common on college campuses and is potentially relevant to a person's self-esteem. Unfortunately, data are mixed regarding how self-esteem is influenced by casual sex. This thesis is an attempt to understand how casual sex influences women's self-esteem through a series of questionnaires. Three hypotheses were of interest. The first predicted that sociosexuality and desire would explain casual sex engagement. Second, that casual sex behaviors and attitudes would predict self-esteem. Third, looking only at those who engaged in casual sex; casual sex attitudes and affect would predict self-esteem. Using hierarchical regression, results indicated that there was a curvilinear effect for sociosexuality on number of casual sex partners. Results for the second hypothesis showed an interaction between behavior and attitudes to predict selfesteem. Finally, for hypothesis three, results showed a moderation effect for attitudes on negative affect regarding overall casual sex experience and self-esteem.

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The main topic of this thesis is investigation of partner preferences and sexual behavior of female-to-male transsexuals. Number of previous studies showed that on average several partner preferences differ between men and women, and our goal was to determine if these preferences vary in female-to-male transsexuals during the process of sex change. The process of sex change includes intensive exposures to external levels of sex hormones, psychological therapy, and the transformation of their social role and overall life changes. Based on reviewe of the the scientific literature dealing with transsexuality, partner preferences and the potential impact of hormone therapy on sexually dimorphic traits, we developed a questionnaire focusing on partner preference and behavior. We obtained data from 36 heterosexual men transsexual female -to -male (i.e., sexual orientation focused on women) who were divided into three groups according to whether they were prior hormonal therapy (N = 11), whether have already started hormone therapy sex but not yet surgical change ( N = 11) and whether they were already after hormonal and surgical gender conversion (N = 14). In addition, we obtained data from 16 heterosexual non-transsexual men as a control group. Based on my previous bachelor research and literature...

[pt] Para Charles Darwin, a criatividade artística dos humanos encontra paralelos com manifestações estéticas de outros animais, como o canto e a habilidade de algumas aves para construir ninhos decorados. Por que diferentes espécies teriam desenvolvido essas capacidades psicológicas? Para Darwin, a resposta é a seleção sexual. A presente tese é composta por estudos que têm por objetivo testar predições esperadas diante da possibilidade da inteligência e da criatividade em humanos terem evoluído ao menos parcialmente por seleção sexual. O primeiro capítulo apresenta uma revisão integrando evidências numa rede nomológica para verificar se a literatura empírica em conjunto sustenta a evolução da criatividade por algum processo ligado à seleção sexual. O segundo capítulo apresenta um estudo qualitativo cujo objetivo foi verificar se inteligência e criatividade emergiriam como categorias de critérios de atratividade diante de respostas espontâneas dos participantes sobre as características de um parceiro amoroso ideal. O terceiro testa as relações da sapiossexualidade com outras variáveis psicológicas, enquanto o quarto estudo testa as relações da atração por comportamentos criativos com outras variáveis psicológicas. Finalmente, o quinto estudo trata-se de um experimento cujo objetivo foi testar se inteligência e criatividade eram atraentes em si mesmos ou por causa de suas consequências sociais benéficas. Os resultados apresentados nesta tese indicam que a inteligência e a criatividade podem ter evoluído parcialmente por seleção sexual, embora o processo específico (bons genes e etc.) possa não estar claro. Além disso, os estudos empíricos mostraram que mulheres são mais sapiossexuais e preferem mais parceiros criativos do que homens. Além disso, a atração por inteligência e criatividade parece ligada à estratégia reprodutiva de curto prazo. / [en] For Charles Darwin, the artistic creativity of humans finds parallels with aesthetic manifestations of other animals, such as the song and the ability of some birds to build decorated nests. Why would different species have developed these psychological capabilities? For Darwin, the answer is sexual selection. This thesis is composed of studies that aim to test expected predictions given the possibility that intelligence and creativity in humans have evolved at least partially by sexual selection. The first chapter presents a review integrating evidence in a nomological network to verify if the empirical literature as a whole supports the evolution of creativity by some process linked to sexual selection. The second chapter presents a qualitative study whose objective was to verify if intelligence and creativity would emerge as categories of attractiveness criteria in the face of spontaneous responses from participants about the characteristics of an ideal love partner. The third tests the relationships of sapiosexuality with other psychological variables, while the fourth study tests the relationships of attraction to creative behaviors with other psychological variables. Finally, the fifth study is an experiment whose aim was to test whether intelligence and creativity were attractive in themselves or because of their beneficial social consequences. The results presented in this thesis indicate that intelligence and creativity may have evolved partially by sexual selection, although the specific process (good genes, etc.) may not be clear. Furthermore, empirical studies have shown that women are more sapiosexual and prefer creative partners more than men. Furthermore, the attraction to intelligence and creativity seems to be linked to short-term reproductive strategy.