Master's Theses

Document Type

Thesis - campus only access

Date of Award

Fall 1998

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Psychology

Advisor

Thomas T. Jackson

Abstract

The following study will examine the influence evolution has had on mating behavior. More specifically, the goal of this study is to determine whether sexual strategies influence how men and women perceive relationships. One-hundred and twenty-four volunteers over the age of 18 filled out a questionnaire that indicated the type of sexual strategy being used by each person. The questionnaire also asked volunteers to rate 5 relationship scenarios on five-point scale that ranged from “1. Very likely to be a monogamous relationship” to “5. Very likely to not be a monogamous relationship. Three main hypothesis were tested to determine if men and women were using different sexual strategies sand if sexual strategies had an influence on the perceptions of relationships. The first hypothesis proposed that more men than women would be using a short-term sexual strategy and more women than men would be using a long-term sexual strategy. Two Chi Square analyses were used to analyze the difference between men and women on this variable. The second hypothesis proposed that more women than men would report that they did not sue a condom during the last time they had sexual intercourse because they were in a long-term relationship. A Chi Square analysis was used to analyze the differences between men and women. The third hypotheses proposed that more women than men would perceive the last three relationship scenarios as being monogamous and more men than women would perceive the last three scenarios as being non-monogamous. Six Chi Square analyses were used to analyze the differences between the perceptions of men and women. These results indicate that more men than women use short-term sexual strategies and more women than men use long-term sexual strategies. These findings support Triver’s (1972) Theory of Parental Investment and Sexual Selection and Buss and Schmitt’s (1993) Sexual Strategies Theory. These data also indicate that the sexual strategy people use does not influence their perception of their current relationship or the relationship scenarios.

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Rights

© 1998 Todd Lynn Fenske

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