Evolution & Human Behavior
Volume 30, Issue 2 , Pages 146-151, March 2009

Partner wealth predicts self-reported orgasm frequency in a sample of Chinese women

  • Thomas V. Pollet

      Affiliations

    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. Department of Social and Organizational Psychology, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
    • ,
  • Daniel Nettle

Centre for Behaviour and Evolution, Newcastle University, Henry Wellcome Building for Neuroecology, Framlington Place, Newcastle upon Tyne NE24HH, UK

Received 17 April 2008; accepted 13 November 2008. published online 14 January 2009.

Abstract 

There has been considerable speculation about the adaptive significance of the human female orgasm, with one hypothesis being that it promotes differential affiliation or conception with high-quality males. We investigated the relationship between women's self-reported orgasm frequency and the characteristics of their partners in a large representative sample from the Chinese Health and Family Life Survey. We found that women report more frequent orgasms the higher their partner's income is. This result cannot be explained by possible confounds such as women's age, health, happiness, educational attainment, relationship duration, wealth difference between the partners, difference between the partners in educational attainment, and regional location. It appears consistent with the view that female orgasm has an evolved adaptive function.

Keywords: Orgasm, Mate choice, Humans, Male quality, Evolutionary psychology

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PII: S1090-5138(08)00117-7

doi:10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2008.11.002

Evolution & Human Behavior
Volume 30, Issue 2 , Pages 146-151, March 2009

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