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Fertility cycle patterns in motives for sexual behavior
Melanie Skaggs Sheldon1, M Lynne Cooper, David C Geary
1Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia 65211, USA. sheldonm@missouri.edu
Personality & Social Psychology Bulletin
|November 24, 2006
Summary
Women
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary Psychology
- Human Sexuality
- Reproductive Biology
Background:
- Understanding the biological underpinnings of human sexual behavior is crucial.
- Fertility status may influence women's motivations for sexual activity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between women's fertility and their reported motives for sexual intercourse.
- To explore potential biological and evolutionary influences on sexual motivations.
Main Methods:
- Three studies utilized cross-sectional and repeated-measures designs.
- Fertility was indexed by day in cycle and salivary estradiol levels.
- Participants reported motives for sexual intercourse.
Main Results:
- Higher fertility and estrogen levels in women correlated with significantly lower endorsement of sex-for-intimacy motives.
- Motives such as enhancement, self-affirmation, and partner approval also showed a decline with increased fertility, though less consistently.
- No consistent patterns were observed for coping or power motives across fertility status.
Conclusions:
- Women's sexual motives are partly influenced by their reproductive biology.
- Findings suggest evolutionary mechanisms may promote female selectivity during fertile periods (midcycle).
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