The desire for sexual variety

Various Studies on Human Mating Techniques

Various studies on human mating techniques have been conducted for decades. Whether they want a single permanent mating partner or several temporary mating partners, what their mating techniques are, and how men and women’s strategies differ, have been the primary focus of these researchers. According to one idea, human couples exist only until another dependent child is born. According to another, individuals want longer romantic connections, and the natural mating psychology would be disrupted if these long-term partnerships were also disrupted. This was researched upon by the varying sex differences in the yearning for sexual diversity. And five studies were conducted. Study 1, considering 1049 people, used five samples. Major sex differences were observed for short-term sexual variety. Study 2, considering 192 people, used a much more mature sample and showed similar results as 1. Study 3 with 50 people also gave the same result with an observer-based process of examination. Study 4 with 167 people confirmed short-term mating was not associated with mental dysfunction but instead be associated with healthier personality features in men (Schmitt, 2001).

Men’s Desire for Short-Term Relationships

These studies confirm that men have a more desire for short-term relationships and women are not interested, they prefer multiple sex partners, take lesser thinking time to decide on sex and these are not due to poor mental health. The study also confirmed that there are more gays than the lesbians. Men get attracted to first dates, fall in love too soon and engage in sex earlier. Therefore, all these results surely confirm the hypotheses of the theorists.

Can We Save Darwin from Evolutionary Psychology?

Sciences like the social sciences and psychology have been affected by Darwin’s ideology. Among the fields of psychology, evolutionary psychology is growing at a high pace. It is relevant to all kinds of behaviors of humans. The simple explanations also lead to significant popularity over the subject. Other leading psychologists like Steven Pinker have invented a particular theory of our minds based on the assumptions by the former scientists from the mid twentieth century as well and not only Darwin’s ideas (Brinkmann, 2011). However, evolutionary psychology yields theoretical issues which are why it would be preferred to stick to Darwin’s theory. Darwin’s psychology has indeed been forgotten in the past years.

Critique of Evolutionary Psychology

Cosmides and Tooby mention evolutionary psychology as the study of brains, their way of handling information and their power of producing certain behavior. According to critique over this, the brain does not process information but merely transmits the electrochemical signals. Other arguments over this definition are because it does not mention persons; it is based on a misconception about the abilities of brains and believes in the programs in the brain which are contestable. Evolutionary psychology considers as its principle that the human mind is a computer. However, in reality, our brain does not work by the rules and algorithmically as a computer.

Unproven Aspects of Evolutionary Psychology

It is rather quite convincing that these problems of evolutionary psychology must not make us neglect the Darwinian ideology. It is rather a misconception that evolutionary psychology is a Darwinian thought, but this is misguidance. Theories of self-action and interaction must be disregarded because nature and culture cannot be associated together. There are only developmental processes among the organisms in the environment. I believe that evolutionary psychology is rather unproven in many regards.

References

Brinkmann, S. (2011). Can we save Darwin from evolutionary psychology?. Nordic

Psychology, 63(3), 50.

Schmitt, D. P., Shackelford, T. K., Duntley, J., Tooke, W., & Buss, D. M. (2001). The desire for

sexual variety as a key to understanding basic human mating strategies. Personal

Relationships, 8(4), 425-455.