Original ArticleCoping with mate poaching: gender differences in detection of infidelity-related threats
Section snippets
Study 1
In Study 1, we examined whether men and women differ in the extent to which they appraise ambiguous partner-related incidents as comprising a threat of infidelity. To this end, participants completed self-report measures of partner distrust, history of infidelity, and socio-economic status, and then were asked to appraise whether or not a partner-related event portrays a clear threat of infidelity (yes or no responses). We hypothesized that women would judge more incidents as comprising a
Study 2
In Study 2, we examined whether women are quicker and more accurate than men in detecting scenes portraying acts of infidelity. Specifically, participants answered questions regarding their history of infidelity and socio-economic status, and then were asked to detect a picture portraying an act of infidelity (i.e., a target picture) out of a matrix of 36 pictures depicting social interactions (i.e., control pictures).
Study 3
Study 3 was designed to examine our hypothesis that women would be quicker and more accurate than men in detecting threats of infidelity but not threats unrelated to spousal unfaithfulness. To this end, participants answered questions regarding their socio-economic status and then were asked to detect two types of threats: a threat of infidelity, as in Study 2, and a threat from poisonous animals (a basic threat that humans have evolved to avoid). Specifically, after completing the computerized
Study 4
In Study 4, we examined whether women's sensitivity about acts of infidelity as compared with men's is channeled to same-sex rivals (i.e., other women), whereas men's sensitivity is directed to their spouses. To this end, participants completed self-report measures of partner distrust, history of infidelity, and socio-economic status, and then were asked to complete a computerized classification task, in which we implicitly examined their perception of within-couple threats and threats that
General discussion
The threat that infidelity poses to men and women is so severe, that the directive “Thou shalt not commit adultery” (Exodus 20:14) is considered by many cultures as one of most inexorable moral violations. It seems, however, that thousands of years of culture-driven efforts to curb infidelity have seen limited success, and the lifetime chances of experiencing partner unfaithfulness are considerably high (Allen et al., 2005). Mate poaching strategies can be singled out as one main culprit that
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