Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Criticisms of the Evolutionary Perspective01:23

Criticisms of the Evolutionary Perspective

In a study where individuals posing as strangers offered compliments and proposed casual sex to students, the responses differed significantly based on gender. Not a single woman accepted the proposal, while 70% of the men agreed. This outcome provides a useful scenario to explore through the lens of evolutionary psychology and social learning theory, highlighting the diverse perspectives on human sexual behaviors.
Evolutionary psychology provides one explanation for these findings, suggesting...
Natural Selection and Mating Preferences01:06

Natural Selection and Mating Preferences

The principle of natural selection posits that organisms better adapted to their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce. This principle is closely intertwined with mating preferences, a key aspect of sexual selection, which evolutionary psychologists believe is driven by instincts to propagate one's genes. Such instincts significantly influence mating behaviors and preferences between genders.
Females, due to their biological roles in conception, pregnancy, and nursing, inherently...
Mate Choice01:20

Mate Choice

Mate choice—the decision about whom to mate with—is a type of natural selection, since animals must reproduce to pass down their genes. Mate choice is also called intersexual selection because the behavior occurs between the sexes.
Evolutionary Psychology01:20

Evolutionary Psychology

Evolutionary psychology explores the origins of human behavior and mental processes by framing them within the context of natural selection, a theory famously propounded by Charles Darwin. This field asserts that many behaviors common across human societies — ranging from instinctive fear reactions to complex social interactions — arose as evolutionary adaptations. These adaptations enhanced the survival and reproductive success of our ancestors, thereby becoming embedded in the human psyche...
Relationship Formation02:12

Relationship Formation

What do you think is the single most influential factor in determining with whom you become friends and whom you form romantic relationships? You might be surprised to learn that the answer is simple: the people with whom you have the most contact. This most important factor is proximity. You are more likely to be friends with people you have regular contact with. For example, there are decades of research that shows that you are more likely to become friends with people who live in your dorm,...
Horney's Sociocultural Approach01:27

Horney's Sociocultural Approach

Karen Horney's psychoanalytic theories emphasize the potential for self-realization and the importance of addressing social and cultural, rather than biological, factors in personality development. She challenged traditional Freudian views, particularly Freud's concept of "penis envy," which she argued stemmed from cultural influences rather than inherent biological differences. Horney believed that any sense of inferiority in women was a result of societal conditioning, such as dependence on...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

If I Only Knew Then: Single Adults' Perceptions of the Impact of Sex Education on Their Romantic and Sexual Lives.

International journal of sexual health : official journal of the World Association for Sexual Health·2026
Same author

Diversity is a feature, not a bug<b>The Sexual Evolution: How 500 Million Years of Sex, Gender, and Mating Shape Modern Relationships</b> <i>Nathan H. Lents</i> Mariner Books, 2025. 352 pp.

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2025
Same author

Beyond words: Relationships between emoji use, attachment style, and emotional intelligence.

PloS one·2024
Same author

The lifelong orgasm gap: exploring age's impact on orgasm rates.

Sexual medicine·2024
Same author

Exploring patterns in mental health treatment and interests of single adults in the United States: a secondary data analysis.

Frontiers in public health·2024
Same author

The Impact of Sex Ratio Perceptions on Condom Use Attitudes and Behaviors among Black Women in the United States.

International journal of sexual health : official journal of the World Association for Sexual Health·2024

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 19, 2026

Using the FishSim Animation Toolchain to Investigate Fish Behavior: A Case Study on Mate-Choice Copying In Sailfin Mollies
10:50

Using the FishSim Animation Toolchain to Investigate Fish Behavior: A Case Study on Mate-Choice Copying In Sailfin Mollies

Published on: November 8, 2018

Hooking up: gender differences, evolution, and pluralistic ignorance.

Chris Reiber1, Justin R Garcia

  • 1Graduate Program in Biomedical Anthropology, Department of Anthropology, and Institute for Evolutionary Studies (EvoS), Binghamton University (SUNY), Binghamton, NY, USA. creiber@binghamton.edu

Evolutionary Psychology : an International Journal of Evolutionary Approaches to Psychology and Behavior
|September 6, 2012
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Hooking up is common on college campuses. Evolutionary theory suggests men are more comfortable with casual sex than women, though both genders overestimate the other's comfort levels, potentially driving hook-up frequency.

More Related Videos

Visually Sexing Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius Ludovicianus) Using Plumage Coloration and Pattern
04:10

Visually Sexing Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius Ludovicianus) Using Plumage Coloration and Pattern

Published on: March 8, 2020

Individual Culturing of Tigriopus Copepods and Quantitative Analysis of Their Mate-guarding Behavior
06:24

Individual Culturing of Tigriopus Copepods and Quantitative Analysis of Their Mate-guarding Behavior

Published on: September 26, 2018

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 19, 2026

Using the FishSim Animation Toolchain to Investigate Fish Behavior: A Case Study on Mate-Choice Copying In Sailfin Mollies
10:50

Using the FishSim Animation Toolchain to Investigate Fish Behavior: A Case Study on Mate-Choice Copying In Sailfin Mollies

Published on: November 8, 2018

Visually Sexing Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius Ludovicianus) Using Plumage Coloration and Pattern
04:10

Visually Sexing Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius Ludovicianus) Using Plumage Coloration and Pattern

Published on: March 8, 2020

Individual Culturing of Tigriopus Copepods and Quantitative Analysis of Their Mate-guarding Behavior
06:24

Individual Culturing of Tigriopus Copepods and Quantitative Analysis of Their Mate-guarding Behavior

Published on: September 26, 2018

Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary Psychology
  • Sociology of Sexuality
  • Adolescent Health

Background:

  • Hooking up, defined as casual sex without commitment, is prevalent in college settings.
  • This behavior carries risks including disease, unintended pregnancy, and psychological distress.
  • Evolutionary theory offers a framework for understanding contemporary sexual behaviors.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess hook-up behaviors and attitudes among college students.
  • To test predictions derived from behavioral-evolutionary theory regarding gender differences in sexual comfort.
  • To explore the role of pluralistic ignorance in hook-up prevalence.

Main Methods:

  • Survey administered to 507 college students.
  • Assessment of participants' attitudes towards various sexual behaviors.
  • Analysis of perceived and actual comfort levels regarding hooking up.

Main Results:

  • Men reported higher comfort with sexual behaviors than women.
  • Women overestimated men's comfort, while men overestimated women's comfort.
  • Both genders perceived same-gendered peers as more comfortable with hooking up than they actually were.

Conclusions:

  • Gender differences in comfort levels align with evolutionary predictions.
  • Pluralistic ignorance, where individuals underestimate peer disapproval, may fuel hook-up frequency despite low personal comfort.
  • Hooking up might represent a modern form of female intrasexual competition for mates.