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Authors: Karl F. Stifter
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(1979) there is thus no corresponding biological purpose for women to have the desire to look at male genitals. Selection cannot have promoted such a motivation. If women had the same patterns of excitation as men then men would try to excite women with more explicitly sexual body signals. If women would respond by being aroused, this would give priority to random mating, so in biological terms this would not maximize the success of reproduction.
3.
Jealousy and Promiscuity
Gender-specific Aspects
Jealousy is triggered off by different events in men and women. In men it is more the suspected or actual sexual infidelity on the part of the woman, whereas in women it is more the feared or actual emotional infidelity of the man. Sociobiologists have explained this as follows. In the cour- se of evolution women were mainly able to protect their genetic material by winning over reliable partners with good economic resources. With such a partner it is easier to guarantee the survival of the children until they reach sexu- al maturity. Women react with jealousy when such a favoura- ble state is threatened, that is to say when a man deemed to be suited permanently turns to another woman so that these resources are no longer available.
Men, by contrast, can ensure the survival of their genetic material by taking measures to ensure that their partner does not become sexually unfaithful.
The gender difference, i.e., men find sexual infidelity more disconcerting because they want to ensure their paternity confidence, while women suffer more from emotional infi- delity since they need to provide for their children, has been examined in recent years from a cross-cultural perspective. Studies have been conducted in the USA, Europe and Asia. All draw the conclusion that women by a manifold in per- centages find emotional infidelity, that is, the fact that the partner feels emotionally attracted to another woman, more perturbing than a sexual escapade. This gender difference
can also be proven physiologically by – using the lie detec- tor method – measurements of skin resistance, pulse fre- quency or muscle tension are taken in subjects – and then observing how these parameters change in different situa- tions. This procedure shows the same result: Men react more strongly to scenarios of sexual infidelity and women more to those of emotional unfaithfulness (Buss et al., 1992 and 1999; Buunk et al., 1996; Geary et al., 1995; Harris & Christenfeld, 1996a and 1998; Krehmeier & Oubaid, 1992; Oubaid, 1997; Voracek et al., 2001).
This sociobiological hypothesis explains at least in part why there is hardly anything that can offend, humiliate and ratt- le men more in their sense of worth than cuckoldry. People suffer from jealousy even in those cultures where sexual esca- pades are allowed and are widespread. An Eskimo might offer his wife to a stranger to sleep with as a sign of hospi- tality, but he would become jealous if his wife would express her desire to have sexual contact with the guest as this could give reason to doubt his sexual qualities.
In a study in which 67 characteristics were assessed as to whether they are desired or not desired in a long-term rela- tionship, faithfulness and sexual fidelity ranked first among American men and infidelity was seen as the least desirable characteristic. In studies on the role played by extra-mari- tal sex in divorces, some 51% of the men cited this as one of the main causes. By contrast, only 27% of the women saw the extra-marital activities of their husbands as consti- tuting a plausible motive for divorce.
The chastity belt that was widespread throughout Europe in the 15th and 16th century symbolized in a telling way the efforts men were willing to invest to ensure that their
wives were kept under control while they were gone. This chastity belt was invented in 1395 and was used until after 1600. In Germany, a patent was issued for a chastity belt in 1903.
A significant number of
3.
Jealousy and Promiscuity
Gender-specific Aspects
Jealousy is triggered off by different events in men and women. In men it is more the suspected or actual sexual infidelity on the part of the woman, whereas in women it is more the feared or actual emotional infidelity of the man. Sociobiologists have explained this as follows. In the cour- se of evolution women were mainly able to protect their genetic material by winning over reliable partners with good economic resources. With such a partner it is easier to guarantee the survival of the children until they reach sexu- al maturity. Women react with jealousy when such a favoura- ble state is threatened, that is to say when a man deemed to be suited permanently turns to another woman so that these resources are no longer available.
Men, by contrast, can ensure the survival of their genetic material by taking measures to ensure that their partner does not become sexually unfaithful.
The gender difference, i.e., men find sexual infidelity more disconcerting because they want to ensure their paternity confidence, while women suffer more from emotional infi- delity since they need to provide for their children, has been examined in recent years from a cross-cultural perspective. Studies have been conducted in the USA, Europe and Asia. All draw the conclusion that women by a manifold in per- centages find emotional infidelity, that is, the fact that the partner feels emotionally attracted to another woman, more perturbing than a sexual escapade. This gender difference
can also be proven physiologically by – using the lie detec- tor method – measurements of skin resistance, pulse fre- quency or muscle tension are taken in subjects – and then observing how these parameters change in different situa- tions. This procedure shows the same result: Men react more strongly to scenarios of sexual infidelity and women more to those of emotional unfaithfulness (Buss et al., 1992 and 1999; Buunk et al., 1996; Geary et al., 1995; Harris & Christenfeld, 1996a and 1998; Krehmeier & Oubaid, 1992; Oubaid, 1997; Voracek et al., 2001).
This sociobiological hypothesis explains at least in part why there is hardly anything that can offend, humiliate and ratt- le men more in their sense of worth than cuckoldry. People suffer from jealousy even in those cultures where sexual esca- pades are allowed and are widespread. An Eskimo might offer his wife to a stranger to sleep with as a sign of hospi- tality, but he would become jealous if his wife would express her desire to have sexual contact with the guest as this could give reason to doubt his sexual qualities.
In a study in which 67 characteristics were assessed as to whether they are desired or not desired in a long-term rela- tionship, faithfulness and sexual fidelity ranked first among American men and infidelity was seen as the least desirable characteristic. In studies on the role played by extra-mari- tal sex in divorces, some 51% of the men cited this as one of the main causes. By contrast, only 27% of the women saw the extra-marital activities of their husbands as consti- tuting a plausible motive for divorce.
The chastity belt that was widespread throughout Europe in the 15th and 16th century symbolized in a telling way the efforts men were willing to invest to ensure that their
wives were kept under control while they were gone. This chastity belt was invented in 1395 and was used until after 1600. In Germany, a patent was issued for a chastity belt in 1903.
A significant number of
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