Female Infidelity and Sperm Competition

Shackelford, Todd K.; Pound, Nicholas; Goetz, Aaron T.; LaMunyon, Craig W.

doi:10.1002/9780470939376.ch12

Cited by 11 publications

(6 citation statements)

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“…Sperm competition occurs when a female copulates with two or more males within a sufficiently brief time period, resulting in sperm of the different males competing to fertilize ova ( Parker, 1970 ). Among humans, a common context for sperm competition is female infidelity ( Shackelford, 2003 ; Smith, 1984 ). A paternally investing man whose regular partner pursues extrapair copulations is at risk of cuckoldry (i.e., unwitting investment of resources into offspring to whom he is not genetically related).…”

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Do Men Produce Higher Quality Ejaculates When Primed With Thoughts of Partner Infidelity?

et al. 2018

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Sperm competition theory can be used to generate the hypothesis that men alter the quality of their ejaculates as a function of sperm competition risk. Using a repeated measures experimental design, we investigated whether men produce a higher quality ejaculate when primed with cues to sperm competition (i.e., imagined partner infidelity) relative to a control prime. Men ( n = 45) submitted two masturbatory ejaculates-one ejaculate sample for each condition (i.e., sperm competition and control conditions). Ejaculates were assessed on 17 clinical parameters. The results did not support the hypothesis: Men did not produce higher quality ejaculates in the sperm competition condition relative to the control condition. Despite the null results of the current research, there is evidence for psychological and physiological adaptations to sperm competition in humans. We discuss methodological limitations that may have produced the null results and present methodological suggestions for research on human sperm competition.

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Do Men Produce Higher Quality Ejaculates When Primed With Thoughts of Partner Infidelity?

et al. 2018

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“…Consequently, IPC duration may be relatively shorter or longer, respectively, depending on the copulatory strategy a man pursues. Men’s copulatory strategy might be determined by whether they are attempting to prevent or correct female infidelity ( Shackelford, 2003 ). We operationalized sperm competition risk in Study 1 as men’s perception of female infidelity.…”

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confidence: 99%

“…This hypothesis is contingent on two factors: (1) the duration of how long sperm remain in the vagina (i.e., the “corrective window”; Baker & Bellis, 1995 ; Johnson & Everitt, 1995 ; Morris, 1977 ; Smith, 1984 ), and (2) a woman’s behavior after sexual intercourse ( Gallup & Burch, 2006 ; but see, Baker & Bellis, 1995 ). Our understanding of men’s strategies to correct or prevent female infidelity ( Shackelford, 2003 ), such as extending IPC duration to facilitate semen displacement, would be informed by assessing the time between a woman’s perceived or actual extra-pair copulation and the next IPC.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Men, therefore, may have evolved anti-cuckoldry tactics to prevent or to participate in sperm competition to guard their paternity ( Platek & Shackelford, 2006 ; Shackelford et al, 2002 , 2005 ). Anti-cuckoldry tactics include mate guarding behaviors ( Buss, 1988 ; Buss & Shackelford, 1997 ), frequent in-pair copulations (IPCs; Pham, Shackelford, Holden, Zeigler-Hill, Hummel, & Memering, 2014 ; Shackelford, Goetz, Guta, & Schmitt, 2006 ), sexually coercing IPCs ( Goetz & Shackelford, 2006 ; reviewed in Goetz, Shackelford, & Camilleri, 2008 ), semen-displacing copulatory behaviors ( Gallup et al, 2003 ; Goetz et al, 2005 ), ejaculate adjustments ( Baker & Bellis, 1993a , 1995 ), partner-abuse during pregnancy ( Burch & Gallup, 2004 ), and adjustments in parental investment ( Platek, Burch, Panyavin, Wesserman, & Gallup, 2002 ).…”

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Sperm Competition Risk and Sexual Coercion Predict Copulatory Duration in Humans

2015

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A man whose romantic partner is sexually unfaithful is at risk of sperm competition and cuckoldry-unwitting investment in offspring to whom he is genetically unrelated. Men, therefore, may have evolved mechanisms to solve the adaptive problems of sperm competition and cuckoldry. The current research investigates another potential anti-cuckoldry tactic: reducing in-pair copulation (IPC) duration, thereby more quickly placing his sperm into competition. We hypothesize that IPC duration will be negatively correlated with female infidelity (Hypothesis 1). We further hypothesize that IPC duration will be negatively correlated with sexual coercion (Hypothesis 2). Results of Study 1 (men's reports, n ¼ 410) indicate that both men's perceptions of female infidelity and men's sexual coercion predict shorter IPC duration. Results of Study 2 (women's reports, n ¼ 455) did not provide statistical support for the study hypotheses. The current research provides an initial investigation of men's adjustment of copulatory duration and suggests that men reduce IPC duration and ejaculate more quickly at the couple's most recent copulation, in response to greater risk of sperm competition and in the context of sexual coercion.

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“…Infidelity represents a great threat to relationships, representing one of the main reasons for divorce (Fincham & May, 2016). Whilst it may be disturbing for both sexes, men find it particularly costly, because infidelity may result in investment of men's resources in other men's offspring, and damage to their reputation (Shackelford, Pound, Goetz, & Lamunyon, 2015). In fact, men's jealousy over women's infidelity is one of the main driving forces behind lethal and non-lethal male aggression against their partners (Stieglitz, Gurven, Kaplan, & Winking, 2012).…”

Section: Why Do Men Hurt Women They "Love"?mentioning

confidence: 99%