Social interactions in different environments impacts and motivates reproductive displays in college students

Abstract

Social environments can have an impact on the interactions between the sexes, specifically pre-courtship behaviors. Sexual selection theory may explain social interactions of the sexes, where males display and attract mates more than females. These behaviors may intensify in a sexual environment. It was hypothesized that individuals would display more in a sexualized environment compared to a non-sexualized location. This research sampled N = 880 participants at a university in a southern state in North America and asked which unisex sunglasses they preferred. While the most popular non-showy sunglasses were selected the most, showy new arrival sunglasses were selected more often when the surveyor’s behavior was flirty, compared to normal behavior and dressing sexy. Thus, social interactions such as flirting between the sexes impacted the behaviors of others and increased the intensity of reproductive displays. At the location with sexualized behaviors and dress, individuals selected the non-showy sunglasses, possibly to draw attention to their bodies in swimsuits, whereas at the non-sexy location, new arrivals were chosen at a higher frequency, possibly to stand out when wearing normal clothes. The sexes chose to stand out at equal frequencies as did single participants and people in a relationship, suggesting that all individuals are trying to display and attract mates equally. Social environments impacted display behaviors and the motivation to display is discussed.