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Updated: Jun 2, 2026
04:38
Assessment of Sexual Behavior of Male Mice
Published on: March 5, 2020
Social inclusion facilitates risky mating behavior in men
Donald F Sacco1, Christina M Brown, Steven G Young
1Department of Psychology, Psychology Building, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45056, USA. saccodf@muohio.edu
Personality & Social Psychology Bulletin
|April 27, 2011
Summary
Social inclusion promotes riskier mating strategies in men, not women. This study reveals sex-specific behavioral changes in reproductive interests following social inclusion.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary Psychology
- Social Psychology
- Human Behavior
Background:
- Past research established social exclusion's effects on cognition and behavior.
- Emerging evidence links social inclusion to prioritizing reproductive interests.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the sex-specific ways social inclusion influences the pursuit of reproductive goals.
- To examine if social inclusion leads to sex-differentiated mating strategies.
Main Methods:
- Three experiments were conducted to test the hypotheses.
- Participants experienced social inclusion, exclusion, or control conditions.
- Sex-specific mating strategy endorsements were measured.
Main Results:
- Social inclusion promoted riskier, more aggressive mating strategies in men, but not women.
- Included men endorsed sexual aggression, mate poaching, and mate retention tactics more frequently.
- Social exclusion did not yield similar effects on mating strategies.
Conclusions:
- Social inclusion can activate sex-differentiated preferences for risky mating strategies.
- Reproductive goals are pursued in sex-specific ways influenced by social inclusion.
- Findings highlight the nuanced impact of social belonging on human mating behavior.
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