Experimental Psychology Seminar: Ben Jones (University of Glasgow)

Is there robust evidence for the Dual Mating Strategy explanation of hormonal influences on women’s mating psychology? 

Ben Jones (University of Glasgow)

The Dual Mating Strategy explanation of hormonal influences on women’s mating psychology proposes that women are more open to short-term, uncommitted sexual relationships with men displaying putative cues of good genes for immunocompetence, such as masculine face and body shapes. However, the studies on which these claims are based have recently been extensively criticised on methodological grounds, including small sample sizes and weak methods for assessing women’s hormone levels. Here I will present evidence from several recent large-scale studies that tested fundamental claims made by the Dual Mating Strategy hypothesis and directly addressed the methodological criticisms of earlier tests. Very few of these studies present evidence that supports the Dual Mating Strategy hypothesis. Instead, the results of these more recent studies support an alternative explanation of hormonal influences on women’s mating psychology in which estradiol and progesterone act simultaneously on women’s general sexual desire.Jones et al. 2019 Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 23, 51-62