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Status and mating success amongst visual artists.
Helen Clegg1, Daniel Nettle, Dorothy Miell
1Division of Psychology, The University of Northampton Northampton, UK.
Frontiers in Psychology
|November 8, 2011
Summary
Artistic success may be linked to mating success, particularly in men, suggesting visual art could function as a sexual selection display. This study explored the evolutionary basis of art creation in visual artists.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary psychology
- Artistic behavior
- Sexual selection theory
Background:
- Geoffrey Miller's hypothesis posits art production as a mating display.
- Investigating the evolutionary function of art is crucial for understanding human behavior.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the correlation between artistic success and mating success in visual artists.
- To test Miller's sexual selection hypothesis regarding art creation.
Main Methods:
- Surveyed 236 visual artists to measure artistic success across various behaviors and beliefs.
- Analyzed the relationship between artistic achievement and number of sexual partners.
- Assessed mating strategies in relation to artistic success.
Main Results:
- More artistically successful males reported more sexual partners, supporting the hypothesis for males.
- No significant relationship was found between artistic success and sexual partners for females.
- Greater artistic success in males correlated with a preference for longer-term relationships.
Conclusions:
- Findings offer partial support for the sexual selection hypothesis of art.
- The function of visual art as a mating display may be sex-specific.
- Artistic endeavors could be influenced by evolutionary pressures related to reproduction.
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