It takes two: sexual strategies and game theory

Area of Science:

• Evolutionary Psychology
• Behavioral Ecology
• Game Theory

Background:

• David Buss's Sexual Strategies Theory is a significant framework in evolutionary psychology.
• This paper critically examines the theoretical and empirical foundations of Buss's theory.
• The analysis highlights a failure to address the interactive nature of sexual selection.

Discussion:

• Mate choice is a cooperative decision, making individual adaptiveness insufficient for evolutionary explanation.
• The theory overlooks the importance of adaptiveness in the context of the partner's choices.
• Insufficient attention is paid to polymorphic versus monomorphic evolutionarily stable states.

Key Insights:

• Buss's theory inadequately accounts for the cooperative dynamics of mate selection.
• Empirical data presented does not conclusively demonstrate natural selection as the primary driver of sexual strategies.
• The current formulation of Sexual Strategies Theory faces challenges in establishing its significance.

Outlook:

• Revisiting game theoretic and evolutionary biological principles is crucial for refining sexual strategies research.
• Further empirical validation is required, considering interactive and polymorphic models.
• A more robust theoretical framework may be necessary to fully explain the origins of human sexual strategies.