Abstract
The ovulatory shift modulates emotions related to female sexuality. Because fertility status only affects the individual’s own opportunity cost, the adaptive value of this shift is expected to stem from self-regulation. To test this assumption we asked women to contemplate various inbreeding descriptions: 1) they themselves having sex with male relatives; 2) their sister having sex with their common male relatives; and 3) an unrelated woman having sex with her male relatives (in 1, but not 2 and 3, negative fitness consequences are affected by the participant’s fertility). We dichotomized the dependent variable disgust (ceiling vs. non-ceiling) and analyzed the interaction between fertility status and description type. The ovulatory shift was stronger in descriptions where they themselves were described as engaging in inbreeding. A smaller increase was also found in reactions to others engaging in inbreeding. We explain the latter effect as due to self-reflection.
Original language | Undefined/Unknown |
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Pages (from-to) | 621–631 |
Journal | Evolutionary Psychology |
Volume | 12 |
Issue number | 3 |
Publication status | Published - 2014 |
MoE publication type | A1 Journal article-refereed |
Keywords
- Menstrual cycle
- Fertility
- Inbreeding