Feminism and Evolutionary Psychology: Allies, Adversaries, or Both? An Introduction to a Special Issue

Smith, Christine; Konik, Julie

doi:10.1007/s11199-011-9985-5

Cited by 15 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…In fact, the weaknesses of the SST (Fausto-Sterling, 2000; Contratto, 2002; Pedersen et al, 2011; Smiler, 2011) led Buss and Schmitt to stress the limits of their theory and the nuances of its preconditions and conclusions (Buss and Schmitt, 2011). Quite polemically and from their perspective as evolutionary psychologists, they emphasized that they do not regard gender-typical behavior as ahistoric, but instead as flexible and context-dependent (Buss and Schmitt, 2011; Smith and Konik, 2011). …”

Section: Mental and Cultural Scriptsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Seduction Script: Psychological and Cultural Norms of Interpersonal Approaches As Markers for Sexual Aggression and Abuse

Landgraf

Treskow

2017

Front. Psychol.

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Hardly any subjects enjoy greater – public or private – interest than the art of flirtation and seduction. However, interpersonal approach behavior not only paves the way for sexual interaction and reproduction, but it simultaneously integrates non-sexual psychobiological and cultural standards regarding consensus and social norms. In the present paper, we use script theory, a concept that extends across psychological and cultural science, to assess behavioral options during interpersonal approaches. Specifically, we argue that approaches follow scripted event sequences that entail ambivalence as an essential communicative element. On the one hand, ambivalence may facilitate interpersonal approaches by maintaining and provoking situational uncertainty, so that the outcome of an action – even after several approaches and dates – remains ambiguous. On the other hand, ambivalence may increase the risk for sexual aggression or abuse, depending on the individual’s abilities, the circumstances, and the intentions of the interacting partners. Recognizing latent sequences of sexually aggressive behavior, in terms of their rigid structure and behavioral options, may thus enable individuals to use resources efficiently, avoid danger, and extricate themselves from assault situations. We conclude that interdisciplinary script knowledge about ambivalence as a core component of the seduction script may be helpful for counteracting subtly aggressive intentions and preventing sexual abuse. We discuss this with regard to the nature-nurture debate as well as phylogenetic and ontogenetic aspects of interpersonal approach behavior and its medial implementation.

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Section: Mental and Cultural Scriptsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Seduction Script: Psychological and Cultural Norms of Interpersonal Approaches As Markers for Sexual Aggression and Abuse

Landgraf

Treskow

2017

Front. Psychol.

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“…In 2011, Sex Roles published a Special Issue entitled 'Feminism and Evolutionary Psychology: Allies, Adversaries, or Both?' In their introduction to the volume, editors Christine Smith and Julie Konik (2011) retrace the acrimonious history between feminism and EP, while also signaling the possibility of a more conciliatory relationship between the two fields emerging.…”

Section: King's College Londonmentioning

confidence: 99%

Feminist Encounters with Evolutionary Psychology

O'Neill

2015

Australian Feminist Studies

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“…Although Sexual Strategies Theory is one of the most widely applied theories of attraction and mate selection, it has also been the subject of critique (Pedersen et al 2011; Smith and Konik 2011). The criticisms most relevant to this study are that it has received little testing outside of undergraduate populations in the U.S. and Europe or with members of racial minorities (Smiler 2011).…”

Section: Body Weight and Partner Preferences Among African Americans:mentioning

confidence: 99%

The Role of Body Size in Mate Selection among African American Young Adults

Granberg

Simons

Simons³

2015

Sex Roles

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A profusion of studies have demonstrated that body size is a major factor in mate selection for both men and women. The particular role played by weight, however, has been subject to some debate, particularly with respect to the types of body sizes deemed most attractive, and scholars have questioned the degree to which body size preferences are constant across groups. In this paper, we drew from two perspectives on this issue, Sexual Strategies Theory and what we termed the cultural variability perspective, and used survey data to examine how body size was associated with both casual dating and serious romantic relationships. We used a United States sample of 386 African American adolescents and young adults between ages 16 and 21, living in the Midwest and Southeast, and who were enrolled in either high school or college. Results showed that overweight women were more likely to report casually dating than women in the thinnest weight category. Body size was not related to dating status among men. Among women, the results suggest stronger support for the cultural variability argument than for Sexual Strategies Theory. Potential explanations for these findings are discussed.

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Feminism and Evolutionary Psychology: Allies, Adversaries, or Both? An Introduction to a Special Issue

Cited by 15 publications

References 41 publications

The Seduction Script: Psychological and Cultural Norms of Interpersonal Approaches As Markers for Sexual Aggression and Abuse

The Seduction Script: Psychological and Cultural Norms of Interpersonal Approaches As Markers for Sexual Aggression and Abuse

Feminist Encounters with Evolutionary Psychology

The Role of Body Size in Mate Selection among African American Young Adults

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