The sexual overperception bias: An exploration of the relationship between mate value and perception of sexual interest.

2014 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-43 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carmen Kohl ◽  
Julia Robertson
PLoS ONE ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. e0127156 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Fromberger ◽  
Sabrina Meyer ◽  
Christina Kempf ◽  
Kirsten Jordan ◽  
Jürgen L. Müller

Assessment ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 535-551 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian V. McPhail ◽  
Chantal A. Hermann ◽  
Stephanie Fernane ◽  
Yolanda M. Fernandez ◽  
Kevin L. Nunes ◽  
...  

Valid assessment of pedohebephilic interests (i.e., sexual interest in children) is fundamental to forensic clinical practice. Phallometric testing—which measures changes in penile circumference or volume, while stimuli depicting different ages and sexual activities are presented—is widely used in clinical and research settings to detect such interests. This meta-analysis summarizes studies comparing sexual offenders against children and various types of controls on phallometric tests for pedohebephilic interests (37 samples; N = 6,785) and studies examining the relationship between phallometric test scores and sexual reoffending (16 samples; N = 2,709). The findings suggest that several phallometric testing procedures are valid indicators of pedohebephilic interest. Certain methodological features of phallometric tests were associated with greater validity, such as, slide or audio-plus-slide stimuli and z-score-based indices. In addition, phallometric tests for pedohebephilic, pedophilic, and hebephilic interests predicted sexual reoffending which provides further evidence that phallometric test scores are valid indicators of sexual interest in children. In general, the interpretation of phallometric test scores as indicators of pedohebephilic interests is supported.


2018 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 485-508 ◽  
Author(s):  
James Kim ◽  
Amy Muise ◽  
Emily A. Impett

Romantic partners often have differing levels of sexual interest. In these situations, lower desire partners may engage in sex for avoidance goals (e.g., to avoid disappointing their partner), which are associated with negative relational outcomes. An alternative strategy to sustain relationship quality may be to decline a partner’s sexual advances in positive ways. In two experimental studies and a dyadic daily experience study with a longitudinal follow-up, we examined the relationship outcomes of positive rejection compared to avoidance-motivated sex. Across studies, when people engaged in positive rejection, both they and their partner did not experience lower levels of relationship satisfaction compared to when they had sex for avoidance goals, although this was not true for sexual satisfaction. Chronic pursuit of sex for avoidance goals did, however, have detrimental consequences over time, whereas positive rejection helped sustain relationship satisfaction. Results suggest positive rejection behaviors may be a viable alternative to avoidance-motivated sex.


2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pablo Polo Polo ◽  
Jose Antonio Munoz-Reyes ◽  
Ana Maria Fernandez Tapia ◽  
Juan Enrique Wilson ◽  
Enrique Turiégano

Individuals vary in their intrasexual competitiveness attitude, i.e., an important variable reflecting the potential threat or the extent to which one perceives other individuals of the same sex as social or mating rivals. In this study, we investigated the relationship between self-perceived mate value, a construct usually linked to intersexual selection, and intrasexual competitiveness attitude. We postulated that those psychological traits that increase mate value are related to psychological traits underlying intrasexual competitiveness attitude. The results obtained from a sample of 711 young participants of both sexes (M= 16.93 years ± SD = 0.86) indicated that mate value was positively related to intrasexual competitiveness attitude. Specifically, the subscales ofFear of Failure,Wealth, andLookswere positive predictors of intrasexual competitiveness attitude. Moreover, theLookssubscale was more relevant in determining intrasexual competitiveness attitude in women than in men. These three subscales were part of the same factorial structure that appears to be indicative of a self-promoting strategy based on the ostentation of traits through attitudes. As a conclusion, we argue that the individual differences in intrasexual competitiveness attitudes are associated with the differences in psychological features usually associated with intersexual selection.


2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 147470491982903 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zsófia Csajbók ◽  
Jan Havlíček ◽  
Zsolt Demetrovics ◽  
Mihály Berkics

Mate value is a construct that can be measured in various ways, ranging from complex but difficult-to-obtain ratings all the way to single-item self-report measures. Due to low sample sizes in previous studies, little is known about the relationship between mate value and demographic variables. In this article, we tested the Mate Value Scale, a relatively new, short, 4-item self-report measure in two large samples. In the first sample of over 1,000, mostly college-age participants, the scale was found to be reliable and correlated with criterion variables in expected ways. In the second, larger sample, which included over 21,000 participants, we have tested for differences across demographics. Contrary to theoretical expectations and previous findings with smaller samples, the differences were either very small (sexual orientation, age, education) or small (sex, socioeconomic status, relationship status) in terms of their effect size. This suggests that the scale is not measuring “objective” mate value (as understood either in terms of fitness or actual mating decisions by potential partners on the “market”), but a self-perception of it, open to social comparison, relative standards, possibly even biases, raising questions about measuring self-perceived versus objective mate value.


2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 147470492097399
Author(s):  
Steven Arnocky ◽  
Ashley Locke

Previous research has demonstrated that men’s lower mate value predicts increased perpetration of mate retention, especially with respect to cost inflicting behaviors. It is less clear if lower mate value women, including those who perceive themselves as being less physically attractive than their intrasexual rivals, also perpetrate more mate retention. Moreover, it is presently unclear whether romantic jealousy, which has been proposed to motivate compensatory behavior in response to evidence that a valued mating relationship is threatened, might mediate this link. The present study addressed this gap in knowledge by examining whether women’s overall self-perceived mate value and upward physical appearance comparisons predicted their cost inflicting and benefit provisioning mate retention, as well as whether jealousy mediated these relationships. In a sample of 167 heterosexual undergraduate women, results found self-perceived mate value predicted greater benefit provisioning mate retention, but not romantic jealousy. In contrast, jealousy mediated the relationship between women’s upward physical appearance comparisons and both their cost-inflicting and benefit-provisioning mate retention, supporting the hypothesis that jealousy in the face of unfavorable social comparisons on important mate value traits can promote action aimed at retaining a mate.


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