Sexual Arousal by Higher- and Lower-Ranking Partner: Manifestation of a Mating Strategy?

Abstract

Background High hierarchical status is associated with increased reproduction success in mammals. However the subordinate males are not totally eliminated from reproduction due to mate choice and alternative male strategies. Thus; the sexual arousal by higher-ranking or lower-ranking partner in humans may represent a proximate mechanism for realizing a reproductive strategy. Aim To evaluate possible connection between mating strategy and sexual arousal by lower-ranking and higher-ranking partner. Materials and Methods Markers of possible reproductive success (the number and gender of relatives and self-reported attractiveness) were evaluated by questionnaire-based study on students (110 men and 195 women, aged 19 to 29, mean age 22.5 ± 2.10SD). Main Outcome Measure The correlation between markers of reproductive success and the sexual arousal by lower- and higher-ranking partner. Results Arousal by lower-ranking partner correlated positively with proportion of males in relatives (Spearman’s r, males: 0.219*; females: 0.161*) and with self-reported attractiveness (males: r = 0.223*); arousal by higher-ranking partner correlated positively with self-attractiveness (females: r = 0.191*). Discussion We found markers of reproductive success despite of reduced number of offspring in nowadays population. Conclusion The sexual arousal by lower- and/or higher-ranking partner appears to be a manifestation of a successful reproductive strategy, e.g. behavior connected to natural human behavior. Moreover, the sexual arousal by overemphasized hierarchy (e.g. dominant-slave play) considered to be a part of sadomasochistic sex (or so called BDSM) may represent an overemphasised manifestation of this reproductive strategy. *P < 0.05.

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