Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 18, 2026

Assessing Dominant-Submissive Behavior in Adult Rats Following Traumatic Brain Injury
Published on: December 16, 2022
Dominance, submissivity (and homosexuality) in general population: testing of evolutionary hypothesis of
Eva Jozifkova1, Jaroslav Flegr
1Department of Anthropology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic.
Objectives:
Dominance and submissiveness represent strong sexual arousal stimuli for a considerable part of population. In contrast to men's sexual dominance and women's sexual submissiveness, the opposite preferences represent an evolutionary enigma. Here, we studied prevalence and strength of particular preferences in general population by Internet-trap-method.
Design:
The subjects who clicked the banner displayed in the web interface of e-mail boxes were allowed to choose icons with homosexual or heterosexual partner of different hierarchical position.
Results:
Dominant partner was chosen by 13.8% men and 20.5% women, and submissive partner by 36.6% men and 19.8% women. Homosexual partners were chosen by 7.3% men and 12.2% women. The response times for the submissive and dominant stimuli did not differ while for the equal-status stimuli were significantly longer, suggesting that part of subjects with equal-status preferences probably intentionally mask their natural interests.
Conclusions:
Large number of people who chose unequal sexual partner suggests that hierarchical status plays important role in human mating system.
Related Concept Videos
Criticisms of the Evolutionary Perspective
Evolutionary psychology provides one explanation for these findings, suggesting...
Relationship Formation
Amebiasis
Natural Selection and Mating Preferences
Females, due to their biological roles in conception, pregnancy, and nursing, inherently...
Evolutionary Psychology
Sex-linked Disorders

