Evidence of mating-motivated altruistic behaviour in time spent on a shared online task

Abstract

Previous research suggests that altruistic behavior increases the desirability of a potential mate for both sexes, but mainly for males. This study explores the expression of altruism, in a mating-motivated context using a non-financial task to replicate the findings in this area. An online charitable giving site (www.freerice.com) was used to compare differences between the expression of altruism in both men and women when playing with the same and opposite gender player profiles. In this study participants were asked hypothetically how much time they would dedicate to a task (collecting rice in the freerice game) as part of a shared effort with each imagined player. Overall, no evidence was found of mating-motivated behavior by either men or women in the study, including when looking at participants’ behavior with just the first player they interacted with. These findings contradict the vast majority of research in this area, and possible explanations for this are discussed including the strength of the mating prime used and the novel group setting for altruistic displays. To conclude this study shows the importance of attempts at replicating established findings in psychology, and help broaden our understanding of how mate choice may play a role in human altruistic behaviors.

A prospective and retrospective 10-year study of altruism and reproductive success.

“…However, the tendency to display altruistic behavior in the presence of potential mates also appears in women, and it is not clear whether the effect is any stronger among men than among women (Farrelly & Bhogal, 2021; Farrelly et al, 2007; Farrelly & King, 2019). More recently, an investigation of the expression of altruism in an online task found no evidence for mating-motivated altruistic behavior in either men or women (HibbertGreaves & Farrelly, 2022).…”