Race bias tracks conception risk across the menstrual cycle.
Although a considerable body of research explores alterations in women's mating-relevant preferences across the menstrual cycle, investigators have yet to examine the potential for the menstrual cycle to influence intergroup attitudes. We examined the effects of changes in conception risk across the menstrual cycle on intergroup bias and found that increased conception risk was positively associated with several measures of race bias. This association was particularly strong when perceived vulnerability to sexual coercion was high. Our findings highlight the potential for hypotheses informed by an evolutionary perspective to generate new knowledge about current social problems-an avenue that may lead to new predictions in the study of intergroup relations.
Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA. cdn@msu.edu
Carlos David
CD
Navarrete
Daniel M T
DM
Fessler
Diana Santos
DS
Fleischman
Joshua
J
Geyer
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001362:Avoidance Learning; D005075:Biological Evolution; D044383:Black People / Q000523:psychology*; D003068:Coercion; D005260:Female; D005306:Fertilization; D006801:Humans; D007206:Individuality; D008597:Menstrual Cycle / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology*; D011287:Prejudice; D012306:Risk; D012742:Sex Offenses / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology; D012933:Social Identification; D013240:Stereotyping; D044465:White People / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult