Universal Sex Differences in the Desire for Sexual Variety: Tests from 52 Nations, 6 Continents, and 13 Islands

David P. Schmitt; Lidia Alcalay; Jüri Allik; Lara Ault; Ivars Austers; Kevin L. Bennett; Gabriel Bianchi; Fredric Boholst; Mary Ann Borg Cunen; Johan Braeckman; Edwin G. Brainerd; Leo Gerard A. Caral; Gabrielle Caron; Maria Martina Casullo; Michael Cunningham; Ikuo Daibo; Charlotte De Backer; Eros De Souza; Rolando Diaz-Loving; Gláucia Diniz; Kevin Durkin; Marcela Echegaray; Ekin Eremsoy; Harald A. Euler; Ruth Falzon; Maryanne L. Fisher; Dolores Foley; Douglas P. Fry; Sirspa Fry; M. Arif Ghayur; Debra L. Golden; Karl Grammer; Liria Grimaldi; Jamin Halberstadt; Dora Herrera; Janine Hertel; Heather Hoffmann; Danica Hooper; Zuzana Hradilekova; Jasna Hudek-Kene-evi; Jas Jaafar; Margarita Jankauskaite; Heidi Kabangu-Stahel; Igor Kardum; Brigitte Khoury; Hayrran Kwon; Kaia Laidra; Anton Rupert Laireiter; Dustin Lakerveld; Ada Lampert; Maryanne Lauri; Marguerite Lavallée; Suk Jae Lee; Luk Chung Leung; Kenneth D. Locke; Vance Locke; Ivan Luksik; Ishmael Magaisa; Dalia Marcinkeviciene; André Mata; Rui Mata; Barry McCarthy; Michael E. Mills; João Moreira; Sérgio Moreira; Miguel Moya; M. Munyae; Patricia Noller; Adrian Opre; Alexia Panayiotou; Nebojsa Petrovic; Karolien Poels; Miroslav Popper; Maria Poulimenou; Volodymyr P'yatokha; Michel Raymond; Ulf Dietrich Reips; Susan E. Reneau; Sofia Rivera-Aragon; Wade C. Rowatt; Willibald Ruch; Velko S. Rus; Marilyn P. Safir; Sonia Salas; Fabio Sambataro; Kenneth N. Sandnabba; Marion K. Schulmeyer; Astrid Schütz; Tullio Scrimali; Todd K. Shackelford; Phillip R. Shaver; Francis Sichona; Franco Simonetti; Tilahun Sineshaw; Tom Speelman; Spyros Spyrou; H. Canan Sümer; Nebi Sümer; Marianna Supekova; Tomasz Szlendak; Robin Taylor; Bert Timmermans; William Tooke; Ioannis Tsaousis; F. S.K. Tungaraza; Griet Vandermassen; Tim Vanhoomissen; Frank Van Overwalle; Ine Vanwesenbeeck; Paul L. Vasey; João Verissimo; Martin Voracek; Wendy W.N. Wan; Ta Wei Wang; Peter Weiss; Andik Wijaya; Liesbeth Woertman; Gahyun Youn; Agata Zupanèiè

doi:10.1037/0022-3514.85.1.85

Universal Sex Differences in the Desire for Sexual Variety: Tests from 52 Nations, 6 Continents, and 13 Islands

David P. Schmitt, Lidia Alcalay, Jüri Allik, Lara Ault, Ivars Austers, Kevin L. Bennett, Gabriel Bianchi, Fredric Boholst, Mary Ann Borg Cunen, Johan Braeckman, Edwin G. Brainerd, Leo Gerard A. Caral, Gabrielle Caron, Maria Martina Casullo, Michael Cunningham, Ikuo Daibo, Charlotte De Backer, Eros De Souza, Rolando Diaz-Loving, Gláucia DinizKevin Durkin, Marcela Echegaray, Ekin Eremsoy, Harald A. Euler, Ruth Falzon, Maryanne L. Fisher, Dolores Foley, Douglas P. Fry, Sirspa Fry, M. Arif Ghayur, Debra L. Golden, Karl Grammer, Liria Grimaldi, Jamin Halberstadt, Dora Herrera, Janine Hertel, Heather Hoffmann, Danica Hooper, Zuzana Hradilekova, Jasna Hudek-Kene-evi, Jas Jaafar, Margarita Jankauskaite, Heidi Kabangu-Stahel, Igor Kardum, Brigitte Khoury, Hayrran Kwon, Kaia Laidra, Anton Rupert Laireiter, Dustin Lakerveld, Ada Lampert, Maryanne Lauri, Marguerite Lavallée, Suk Jae Lee, Luk Chung Leung, Kenneth D. Locke, Vance Locke, Ivan Luksik, Ishmael Magaisa, Dalia Marcinkeviciene, André Mata, Rui Mata, Barry McCarthy, Michael E. Mills, João Moreira, Sérgio Moreira, Miguel Moya, M. Munyae, Patricia Noller, Adrian Opre, Alexia Panayiotou, Nebojsa Petrovic, Karolien Poels, Miroslav Popper, Maria Poulimenou, Volodymyr P'yatokha, Michel Raymond, Ulf Dietrich Reips, Susan E. Reneau, Sofia Rivera-Aragon, Wade C. Rowatt, Willibald Ruch, Velko S. Rus, Marilyn P. Safir, Sonia Salas, Fabio Sambataro, Kenneth N. Sandnabba, Marion K. Schulmeyer, Astrid Schütz, Tullio Scrimali, Todd K. Shackelford, Phillip R. Shaver, Francis Sichona, Franco Simonetti, Tilahun Sineshaw, Tom Speelman, Spyros Spyrou, H. Canan Sümer, Nebi Sümer, Marianna Supekova, Tomasz Szlendak, Robin Taylor, Bert Timmermans, William Tooke, Ioannis Tsaousis, F. S.K. Tungaraza, Griet Vandermassen, Tim Vanhoomissen, Frank Van Overwalle, Ine Vanwesenbeeck, Paul L. Vasey, João Verissimo, Martin Voracek, Wendy W.N. Wan, Ta Wei Wang, Peter Weiss, Andik Wijaya, Liesbeth Woertman, Gahyun Youn, Agata Zupanèiè

Department of Psychology

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Evolutionary psychologists have hypothesized that men and women possess both long-term and short-term mating strategies, with men's short-term strategy differentially rooted in the desire for sexual variety. In this article, findings from a cross-cultural survey of 16,288 people across 10 major world regions (including North America, South America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Southern Europe, Middle East, Africa, Oceania, South/Southeast Asia, and East Asia) demonstrate that sex differences in the desire for sexual variety are culturally universal throughout these world regions. Sex differences were evident regardless of whether mean, median, distributional, or categorical indexes of sexual differentiation were evaluated. Sex differences were evident regardless of the measures used to evaluate them. Among contemporary theories of human mating, pluralistic approaches that hypothesize sex differences in the evolved design of short-term mating provide the most compelling account of these robust empirical findings.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	85-104
Number of pages	20
Journal	Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
Volume	85
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.85.1.85
State	Published - Jul 2003

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Social Psychology
Sociology and Political Science

Access to Document

10.1037/0022-3514.85.1.85

Cite this

Schmitt, D. P., Alcalay, L., Allik, J., Ault, L., Austers, I., Bennett, K. L., Bianchi, G., Boholst, F., Borg Cunen, M. A., Braeckman, J., Brainerd, E. G., Caral, L. G. A., Caron, G., Martina Casullo, M., Cunningham, M., Daibo, I., De Backer, C., De Souza, E., Diaz-Loving, R., ... Zupanèiè, A. (2003). Universal Sex Differences in the Desire for Sexual Variety: Tests from 52 Nations, 6 Continents, and 13 Islands. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 85(1), 85-104. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.85.1.85

@article{428960cf73a840a1a9f44615e818c2d4,

title = "Universal Sex Differences in the Desire for Sexual Variety: Tests from 52 Nations, 6 Continents, and 13 Islands",

abstract = "Evolutionary psychologists have hypothesized that men and women possess both long-term and short-term mating strategies, with men's short-term strategy differentially rooted in the desire for sexual variety. In this article, findings from a cross-cultural survey of 16,288 people across 10 major world regions (including North America, South America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Southern Europe, Middle East, Africa, Oceania, South/Southeast Asia, and East Asia) demonstrate that sex differences in the desire for sexual variety are culturally universal throughout these world regions. Sex differences were evident regardless of whether mean, median, distributional, or categorical indexes of sexual differentiation were evaluated. Sex differences were evident regardless of the measures used to evaluate them. Among contemporary theories of human mating, pluralistic approaches that hypothesize sex differences in the evolved design of short-term mating provide the most compelling account of these robust empirical findings.",

author = "Schmitt, {David P.} and Lidia Alcalay and J{\"u}ri Allik and Lara Ault and Ivars Austers and Bennett, {Kevin L.} and Gabriel Bianchi and Fredric Boholst and {Borg Cunen}, {Mary Ann} and Johan Braeckman and Brainerd, {Edwin G.} and Caral, {Leo Gerard A.} and Gabrielle Caron and {Martina Casullo}, Maria and Michael Cunningham and Ikuo Daibo and {De Backer}, Charlotte and {De Souza}, Eros and Rolando Diaz-Loving and Gl{\'a}ucia Diniz and Kevin Durkin and Marcela Echegaray and Ekin Eremsoy and Euler, {Harald A.} and Ruth Falzon and Fisher, {Maryanne L.} and Dolores Foley and Fry, {Douglas P.} and Sirspa Fry and {Arif Ghayur}, M. and Golden, {Debra L.} and Karl Grammer and Liria Grimaldi and Jamin Halberstadt and Dora Herrera and Janine Hertel and Heather Hoffmann and Danica Hooper and Zuzana Hradilekova and Jasna Hudek-Kene-evi and Jas Jaafar and Margarita Jankauskaite and Heidi Kabangu-Stahel and Igor Kardum and Brigitte Khoury and Hayrran Kwon and Kaia Laidra and Laireiter, {Anton Rupert} and Dustin Lakerveld and Ada Lampert and Maryanne Lauri and Marguerite Lavall{\'e}e and Lee, {Suk Jae} and {Chung Leung}, Luk and Locke, {Kenneth D.} and Vance Locke and Ivan Luksik and Ishmael Magaisa and Dalia Marcinkeviciene and Andr{\'e} Mata and Rui Mata and Barry McCarthy and Mills, {Michael E.} and Jo{\~a}o Moreira and S{\'e}rgio Moreira and Miguel Moya and M. Munyae and Patricia Noller and Adrian Opre and Alexia Panayiotou and Nebojsa Petrovic and Karolien Poels and Miroslav Popper and Maria Poulimenou and Volodymyr P'yatokha and Michel Raymond and Reips, {Ulf Dietrich} and Reneau, {Susan E.} and Sofia Rivera-Aragon and Rowatt, {Wade C.} and Willibald Ruch and Rus, {Velko S.} and Safir, {Marilyn P.} and Sonia Salas and Fabio Sambataro and Sandnabba, {Kenneth N.} and Schulmeyer, {Marion K.} and Astrid Sch{\"u}tz and Tullio Scrimali and Shackelford, {Todd K.} and Shaver, {Phillip R.} and Francis Sichona and Franco Simonetti and Tilahun Sineshaw and Tom Speelman and Spyros Spyrou and S{\"u}mer, {H. Canan} and Nebi S{\"u}mer and Marianna Supekova and Tomasz Szlendak and Robin Taylor and Bert Timmermans and William Tooke and Ioannis Tsaousis and Tungaraza, {F. S.K.} and Griet Vandermassen and Tim Vanhoomissen and {Van Overwalle}, Frank and Ine Vanwesenbeeck and Vasey, {Paul L.} and Jo{\~a}o Verissimo and Martin Voracek and Wan, {Wendy W.N.} and Wang, {Ta Wei} and Peter Weiss and Andik Wijaya and Liesbeth Woertman and Gahyun Youn and Agata Zupan{\`e}i{\`e}",

year = "2003",

month = jul,

doi = "10.1037/0022-3514.85.1.85",

language = "English",

volume = "85",

pages = "85--104",

journal = "Journal of Personality and Social Psychology",

issn = "0022-3514",

publisher = "American Psychological Association Inc.",

number = "1",

}

Schmitt, DP, Alcalay, L, Allik, J, Ault, L, Austers, I, Bennett, KL, Bianchi, G, Boholst, F, Borg Cunen, MA, Braeckman, J, Brainerd, EG, Caral, LGA, Caron, G, Martina Casullo, M, Cunningham, M, Daibo, I, De Backer, C, De Souza, E, Diaz-Loving, R, Diniz, G, Durkin, K, Echegaray, M, Eremsoy, E, Euler, HA, Falzon, R, Fisher, ML, Foley, D, Fry, DP, Fry, S, Arif Ghayur, M, Golden, DL, Grammer, K, Grimaldi, L, Halberstadt, J, Herrera, D, Hertel, J, Hoffmann, H, Hooper, D, Hradilekova, Z, Hudek-Kene-evi, J, Jaafar, J, Jankauskaite, M, Kabangu-Stahel, H, Kardum, I, Khoury, B, Kwon, H, Laidra, K, Laireiter, AR, Lakerveld, D, Lampert, A, Lauri, M, Lavallée, M, Lee, SJ, Chung Leung, L, Locke, KD, Locke, V, Luksik, I, Magaisa, I, Marcinkeviciene, D, Mata, A, Mata, R, McCarthy, B, Mills, ME, Moreira, J, Moreira, S, Moya, M, Munyae, M, Noller, P, Opre, A, Panayiotou, A, Petrovic, N, Poels, K, Popper, M, Poulimenou, M, P'yatokha, V, Raymond, M, Reips, UD, Reneau, SE, Rivera-Aragon, S, Rowatt, WC, Ruch, W, Rus, VS, Safir, MP, Salas, S, Sambataro, F, Sandnabba, KN, Schulmeyer, MK, Schütz, A, Scrimali, T, Shackelford, TK, Shaver, PR, Sichona, F, Simonetti, F, Sineshaw, T, Speelman, T, Spyrou, S, Sümer, HC, Sümer, N, Supekova, M, Szlendak, T, Taylor, R, Timmermans, B, Tooke, W, Tsaousis, I, Tungaraza, FSK, Vandermassen, G, Vanhoomissen, T, Van Overwalle, F, Vanwesenbeeck, I, Vasey, PL, Verissimo, J, Voracek, M, Wan, WWN, Wang, TW, Weiss, P, Wijaya, A, Woertman, L, Youn, G & Zupanèiè, A 2003, 'Universal Sex Differences in the Desire for Sexual Variety: Tests from 52 Nations, 6 Continents, and 13 Islands', Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, vol. 85, no. 1, pp. 85-104. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.85.1.85

TY - JOUR

T1 - Universal Sex Differences in the Desire for Sexual Variety

T2 - Tests from 52 Nations, 6 Continents, and 13 Islands

AU - Schmitt, David P.

AU - Alcalay, Lidia

AU - Allik, Jüri

AU - Ault, Lara

AU - Austers, Ivars

AU - Bennett, Kevin L.

AU - Bianchi, Gabriel

AU - Boholst, Fredric

AU - Borg Cunen, Mary Ann

AU - Braeckman, Johan

AU - Brainerd, Edwin G.

AU - Caral, Leo Gerard A.

AU - Caron, Gabrielle

AU - Martina Casullo, Maria

AU - Cunningham, Michael

AU - Daibo, Ikuo

AU - De Backer, Charlotte

AU - De Souza, Eros

AU - Diaz-Loving, Rolando

AU - Diniz, Gláucia

AU - Durkin, Kevin

AU - Echegaray, Marcela

AU - Eremsoy, Ekin

AU - Euler, Harald A.

AU - Falzon, Ruth

AU - Fisher, Maryanne L.

AU - Foley, Dolores

AU - Fry, Douglas P.

AU - Fry, Sirspa

AU - Arif Ghayur, M.

AU - Golden, Debra L.

AU - Grammer, Karl

AU - Grimaldi, Liria

AU - Halberstadt, Jamin

AU - Herrera, Dora

AU - Hertel, Janine

AU - Hoffmann, Heather

AU - Hooper, Danica

AU - Hradilekova, Zuzana

AU - Hudek-Kene-evi, Jasna

AU - Jaafar, Jas

AU - Jankauskaite, Margarita

AU - Kabangu-Stahel, Heidi

AU - Kardum, Igor

AU - Khoury, Brigitte

AU - Kwon, Hayrran

AU - Laidra, Kaia

AU - Laireiter, Anton Rupert

AU - Lakerveld, Dustin

AU - Lampert, Ada

AU - Lauri, Maryanne

AU - Lavallée, Marguerite

AU - Lee, Suk Jae

AU - Chung Leung, Luk

AU - Locke, Kenneth D.

AU - Locke, Vance

AU - Luksik, Ivan

AU - Magaisa, Ishmael

AU - Marcinkeviciene, Dalia

AU - Mata, André

AU - Mata, Rui

AU - McCarthy, Barry

AU - Mills, Michael E.

AU - Moreira, João

AU - Moreira, Sérgio

AU - Moya, Miguel

AU - Munyae, M.

AU - Noller, Patricia

AU - Opre, Adrian

AU - Panayiotou, Alexia

AU - Petrovic, Nebojsa

AU - Poels, Karolien

AU - Popper, Miroslav

AU - Poulimenou, Maria

AU - P'yatokha, Volodymyr

AU - Raymond, Michel

AU - Reips, Ulf Dietrich

AU - Reneau, Susan E.

AU - Rivera-Aragon, Sofia

AU - Rowatt, Wade C.

AU - Ruch, Willibald

AU - Rus, Velko S.

AU - Safir, Marilyn P.

AU - Salas, Sonia

AU - Sambataro, Fabio

AU - Sandnabba, Kenneth N.

AU - Schulmeyer, Marion K.

AU - Schütz, Astrid

AU - Scrimali, Tullio

AU - Shackelford, Todd K.

AU - Shaver, Phillip R.

AU - Sichona, Francis

AU - Simonetti, Franco

AU - Sineshaw, Tilahun

AU - Speelman, Tom

AU - Spyrou, Spyros

AU - Sümer, H. Canan

AU - Sümer, Nebi

AU - Supekova, Marianna

AU - Szlendak, Tomasz

AU - Taylor, Robin

AU - Timmermans, Bert

AU - Tooke, William

AU - Tsaousis, Ioannis

AU - Tungaraza, F. S.K.

AU - Vandermassen, Griet

AU - Vanhoomissen, Tim

AU - Van Overwalle, Frank

AU - Vanwesenbeeck, Ine

AU - Vasey, Paul L.

AU - Verissimo, João

AU - Voracek, Martin

AU - Wan, Wendy W.N.

AU - Wang, Ta Wei

AU - Weiss, Peter

AU - Wijaya, Andik

AU - Woertman, Liesbeth

AU - Youn, Gahyun

AU - Zupanèiè, Agata

PY - 2003/7

Y1 - 2003/7

N2 - Evolutionary psychologists have hypothesized that men and women possess both long-term and short-term mating strategies, with men's short-term strategy differentially rooted in the desire for sexual variety. In this article, findings from a cross-cultural survey of 16,288 people across 10 major world regions (including North America, South America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Southern Europe, Middle East, Africa, Oceania, South/Southeast Asia, and East Asia) demonstrate that sex differences in the desire for sexual variety are culturally universal throughout these world regions. Sex differences were evident regardless of whether mean, median, distributional, or categorical indexes of sexual differentiation were evaluated. Sex differences were evident regardless of the measures used to evaluate them. Among contemporary theories of human mating, pluralistic approaches that hypothesize sex differences in the evolved design of short-term mating provide the most compelling account of these robust empirical findings.

AB - Evolutionary psychologists have hypothesized that men and women possess both long-term and short-term mating strategies, with men's short-term strategy differentially rooted in the desire for sexual variety. In this article, findings from a cross-cultural survey of 16,288 people across 10 major world regions (including North America, South America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Southern Europe, Middle East, Africa, Oceania, South/Southeast Asia, and East Asia) demonstrate that sex differences in the desire for sexual variety are culturally universal throughout these world regions. Sex differences were evident regardless of whether mean, median, distributional, or categorical indexes of sexual differentiation were evaluated. Sex differences were evident regardless of the measures used to evaluate them. Among contemporary theories of human mating, pluralistic approaches that hypothesize sex differences in the evolved design of short-term mating provide the most compelling account of these robust empirical findings.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0141642067&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1037/0022-3514.85.1.85

DO - 10.1037/0022-3514.85.1.85

M3 - Article

C2 - 12872886

AN - SCOPUS:0141642067

SN - 0022-3514

VL - 85

SP - 85

EP - 104

JO - Journal of Personality and Social Psychology

JF - Journal of Personality and Social Psychology

IS - 1

ER -

Universal Sex Differences in the Desire for Sexual Variety: Tests from 52 Nations, 6 Continents, and 13 Islands

Abstract

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this