Sexual arousal by higher- and lower-ranking partner: manifestation of a mating strategy?
BACKGROUND
High hierarchical status is associated with increased reproduction success in mammals. However the subordinate males are not totally eliminated from reproduction due to mate choice and alternative male strategies. Thus; the sexual arousal by higher-ranking or lower-ranking partner in humans may represent a proximate mechanism for realizing a reproductive strategy.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate possible connection between mating strategy and sexual arousal by lower-ranking and higher-ranking partner.


METHODS
Markers of possible reproductive success (the number and gender of relatives and self-reported attractiveness) were evaluated by questionnaire-based study on students (110 men and 195 women, aged 19 to 29, mean age 22.5 +/- 2.10SD).


METHODS
The correlation between markers of reproductive success and the sexual arousal by lower- and higher-ranking partner.


RESULTS
Arousal by lower-ranking partner correlated positively with proportion of males in relatives (Spearman's r, males: 0.219*; females: 0.161*) and with self-reported attractiveness (males: r = 0.223*); arousal by higher-ranking partner correlated positively with self-attractiveness (females: r = 0.191*).


CONCLUSIONS
We found markers of reproductive success despite of reduced number of offspring in nowadays population.


CONCLUSIONS
The sexual arousal by lower- and/or higher-ranking partner appears to be a manifestation of a successful reproductive strategy, e.g. behavior connected to natural human behavior. Moreover, the sexual arousal by overemphasized hierarchy (e.g. dominant-slave play) considered to be a part of sadomasochistic sex (or so called BDSM) may represent an over emphasised manifestation of this reproductive strategy. *P < 0.05.
Jozifkova
Eva
E
Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, J.E. Purkinje University, Usti nad Labem, Czech Republic. evasmid@centrum.cz
Konvicka
Martin
M
D000328:Adult; D018153:Czech Republic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007989:Libido; D008297:Male; D043762:Reproductive Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D012649:Self Concept; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D012923:Social Class; D012928:Social Desirability; D012930:Social Dominance; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult