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Related Experiment Videos

Mate Availability and Sexual Disgust.

Courtney L Crosby1, Patrick K Durkee1, Anna G B Sedlacek1

  • 1Department of Psychology, The University of Texas At Austin, 108 E. Dean Keeton St, Austin, TX 78712 USA.

Adaptive Human Behavior and Physiology
|May 18, 2021
PubMed
Summary
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Sexual disgust levels are negatively linked to perceived mate availability, contrary to predictions. While women exhibit higher sexual disgust, the study suggests disgust may shape mating pool perceptions rather than solely reflecting them.

Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary Psychology
  • Human Mating Behavior
  • Sexual Psychology

Background:

  • Sexual disgust is theorized to be calibrated by mating pool size.
  • Understanding factors influencing sexual disgust is crucial for evolutionary and social psychology.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate if perceptions of mate availability predict sexual disgust.
  • To examine the relationship between perceived mate availability and sexual disgust towards potential mates.

Main Methods:

  • 853 participants rated the sexual disgust elicited by 60 potential mates.
  • Mate availability, self-perceived attractiveness, and mate value were measured.
  • Multilevel models analyzed the associations between variables.
Keywords:
AttractivenessEvolutionMate availabilityMatingSexual disgust

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Main Results:

  • A negative association was found between sexual disgust and perceived mate availability.
  • Women reported higher sexual disgust than men, controlling for target attractiveness.
  • Sexual disgust was negatively associated with target attractiveness.
  • The link between sexual disgust and mate attractiveness was stronger when perceived mate availability was high.

Conclusions:

  • Findings challenge the hypothesis that sexual disgust is calibrated by mate availability.
  • Results support functional accounts of sexual disgust but indicate a complex relationship with mating psychology.
  • Future research should explore whether disgust influences mating pool perceptions.