Female mate retention, sexual orientation, and gender identity.

Abstract

The current study investigated the influence of sexual orientation on mate retention behavior while controlling for the potentially confounding effects of gender identity. Heterosexual (n ϭ 70), bisexual (n ϭ 55), and homosexual (n ϭ 73) women (aged 18 -53, M ϭ 21.75, SD ϭ 5.44) completed the Mate Retention Inventory and Masculine Gender Identity Scale for females. When controlling for gender identity, women of heterosexual, bisexual, and homosexual orientation differed in their use of four mate retention acts (resource display, verbal possession signals, physical possession signals, and possessive ornamentation). Retention behaviors were most and least frequently used by homosexual and heterosexual women, respectively. The results suggest that gender identity does not explain the sexual orientation differences in female mate retention.

Machiavellianism in long‐term relationships: Competition, mate retention and sexual coercion

“…The 19 acts measured by the inventory are combined to assess five broad mate retention tactics: direct guarding (vigilance, concealment of mate and monopolization of mate's time); inter-sexual negative inducements (jealousy induction, punish mate's infidelity threat, emotional manipulation, commitment manipulation and derogation of competitors); positive inducements (resource display, sexual inducements, enhancement of physical appearance, love and caring and submission and debasement); public signals of possession (verbal signals of possession, physical signals of possession, and possessive ornamentation); and intra-sexual negative inducements (derogation of mate to competitors, intra-sexual threats and violence against rivals). Previous research (e.g., Brewer & Hamilton, 2014) has established acceptable reliability for each retention subscale: direct guarding a = 0.87; inter-sexual negative inducements a = 0.90; positive inducements a = 0.85; public signals of possession a = 0.83; and intra-sexual negative inducements a = 0.83.…”

“…All participants were in a romantic relationship (of at least 12 months duration) at the time of the study and relationship lengths ranged from 12-312 months (M = 52.67, SD = 56.20). As sexual orientation may influence mate retention behavior (Brewer & Hamilton, 2014), only heterosexual participants were recruited. Participants were asked to complete an online survey containing a number of preliminary demographic questions, the Mach IV (Christie & Geis, 1970), Scale for Intra-Sexual Competition (Buunk & Fisher, 2009), Mate Retention Inventory-Short Form (Buss, Shackelford & McKibbin, 2008), and Sexual Coercion in Intimate Relationships Scale (Shackelford & Goetz, 2004).…”

Inter-sexual mate competition in three cultures

“…All narrative recounts of mate-competition interactions were audio recorded, and later transcribed and translated (when necessary). Each narrative was coded by two independent raters using a psychometrically validated mate retention inventory taxonomy [ 4 , 6 , 33 ]. Each interaction was coded by the first author, as well as a research assistant trained in applying the mate competition taxonomy but blind to study hypotheses.…”

“…In contrast, we predicted that Samoan and Istmo Zapotec women would report relatively high levels of inter-sexual mate competition because both fa’afafine and muxes routinely engage in sexual activity with masculine men who behave bisexually. Second, we endeavored to document the features of inter-sexual mate competition when it occurs, applying established mate-competition tactics taxonomies [e.g., 4 , 5 , 6 , 29 , 30 ] to qualitative accounts of such interactions. Given the anticipated rarity of inter-sexual mate competition in Canada, we expected that women would dismiss such competition as trivial when it did occur, and engage in few mate-competition tactics.…”

“…A core tenet of Darwinian sexual selection theory is that mate selection occurs inter-sexually, and competition occurs intra-sexually for opposite-sex partners, a pattern that has been documented in most species [1]. Sexual selection is known to favor individuals who demonstrate flexibility in the means by which they compete for reproductive partners [2,3], and varied intra-sexual mate competition tactics are both widespread and well documented [4][5][6][7]. In this study, we demonstrate that when males and females prefer the same sexual partners, who themselves behave in a bisexual manner, then inter-sexual mate competition can ensue.…”