A night on the town: when the importance of mate acquisition overrides intrasexual competition

Abstract

It is argued that, while men may be intrasexually more competitive than women, to attract potential mates, men will, more than women, associate with same-sex friends who are attractive to the opposite sex. Therefore, more than women, men will choose more physically attractive and dominant companions in a mating context than in a neutral context. In Study 1 among 262 participants a mating scenario (going to a party) and a neutral scenario (seeing a movie) were developed, and it was shown that the mating scenario did indeed induce more a mating context than the neutral scenario. In Study 2 among 167 participants the hypotheses were tested by examining the preferences for a companion in both scenarios. The findings from Study 2 supported the predictions. In response to the mating as compared to the neutral scenario, men, but not women, found the attractiveness of a companion more important, preferred a more socially dominant companion, and found the social dominance of a companion more important. Men as well as women preferred in general companions who were less attractive than themselves, but preferred a more attractive companion in a mating than in a neutral context. The effects for social dominance were in general more pronounced among individuals high in sociosexual orientation (SOI). To conclude especially mens' attitude towards same sex others in a mating context may be driven by the desire to associate, rather than to compete, with same-sex others who are attractive to the opposite sex.

Intrasexual Competition and Height in Adolescents and Adults

“…In contrast to men, women mainly compete within same-sex individuals in terms of attractiveness ( Buss, 1989 ; Symons, 1995 ), instead of in terms of the capability to protect and obtain resources. Attractive women are more valued as allies by their same-sex peers and are more effective in derogating same-sex competitors ( Buunk & Massar, 2014 ; Fisher & Cox, 2009 ), resulting in their superior position in terms of intrasexual competition. In addition, the expression of attractive traits in women is in part estrogen dependent and, as a consequence, it usually conveys information about health and fertility ( Roney, 2009 ; Singh, 1993 ).…”

Intrasexual competitiveness and personality traits: A study in Uruguay

“…Indeed, more than women, men seem to consider competition with same sex others a more normal fact of life, which is for them not incompatible with maintaining collaborative relationships (cf. Buunk & Massar, 2014;Campbell, 2013).…”

Resource availability differentially influences women’s perceptions of same- (versus cross-) sex others’ competitiveness.

“…That is, given that men place high value on potential mates’ physical attractiveness (Li, 2007; Li et al, 2002; Li & Kenrick, 2006), women view highly attractive same-sex others as the greatest threat to their mating goals (Fink et al, 2014). Men, on the other hand, exhibit an increased preference to affiliate with attractive same-sex peers in mating (as compared with neutral) contexts, indicating that men may be driven to cooperate with desirable same-sex others to achieve their mating goals (Buunk & Massar, 2014).…”