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Are mating strategies and mating tactics independent constructs?
J Sabura Allen1, Kent G Bailey
1School of Psychology, Psychiatry and Psychological Medicine, Monash University, Victoia, 3800 Australia. sabura.allen@med.monash.edu.au
Journal of Sex Research
|September 20, 2007
Summary
This study differentiates mating tactics from mating strategies in women, finding they are distinct and independent. Measuring mating tactics does not indicate underlying mating strategies, revealing four unique female mating styles.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary Psychology
- Human Mating Behavior
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Mating tactics and mating strategies are related but distinct concepts in evolutionary psychology.
- Current research often conflates these constructs, potentially skewing study outcomes.
- A clearer distinction is needed to accurately understand human mating behavior.
Purpose of the Study:
- To empirically differentiate between mating tactics and mating strategies in women.
- To investigate whether the measurement of mating tactics is indicative of mating strategies.
- To identify distinct patterns of female mating styles.
Main Methods:
- Administered self-report measures of mating tactics and strategies to 183 women (aged 18-45).
- Utilized the Escalating Sexual Encounters Questionnaire (ESEQ), Sexual Strategies Measure (SSM), and Sociosexual Orientation Inventory (SOI).
- Conducted exploratory factor analysis with oblique rotation to identify underlying factors.
Main Results:
- Identified two distinct factors: one for tactics and one for strategies, supporting their independent nature.
- Found that mating tactics and mating strategies vary independently in women.
- Discovered four distinct patterns of female mating styles based on factor scores.
Conclusions:
- Mating tactics and mating strategies are empirically separable constructs in women.
- Measurement of mating tactics does not predict underlying mating strategies.
- The identified female mating styles offer insights into evolutionary perspectives on human reproduction.
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