title: [The effect of prostitution on the stability of romantic relationships. Empirical testing of an evolutionary model].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Until now prostitution has only been explained from two evolutionary points of view. According to the short-term mate choice strategy approach motives for seeking prostitutes are to be found in the nature of male sexuality. Another theory - the evolutionary interpretation of female promiscuity's motivational base - indirectly completes the understanding of prostitution. This theory emphasizes the adaptive benefits of female promiscuity under certain circumstances. The aim of our study was to test a third idea (Adaptive Support Theory), according to which women in long-term relationships support their partners' (husbands') sexual relations with prostitutes.
  
  
  METHODS
  University female students (n=208, age mean±SD=23.55±7.13, min=18, max=50) completed our questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Female participants are presumed to recognize the advantages and threats of their partners' sexual relations with prostitutes compared to other possible forms of betrayal. Hence it is hypothesized that women overtly support the possibility of their partners' relations with prostitutes. Our results show that women are able to assess the favorable and unfavorable effects of their partners' relations with prostitutes. At the same time they do not directly support this form of betrayal over other possibilities. However, female participants were more approving of their partners' relations with prostitutes (in a thought- experiment), than they guessed their partner would demand such services.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  According to our model women living in long-term relationship are adaptively interested in their partner's cheating on them with a prostitute (rather than engaging in other kinds of sexual relations), because this finance based external sexual liaison is the least threatening for the stability of the long-term relationship.
authors.affiliation: Pecsi Tudomanyegyetem Illyes Gyula Kar, Szekszard, Hungary. meskonorbert@meskonorbert.hu
authors.forename: Norbert
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Meskó
authors.forename: András
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Láng
authors.forename: László
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bernáth
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005075:Biological Evolution; D003468:Cultural Evolution; D005114:Extramarital Relations / Q000523:psychology; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008393:Marriage; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D011477:Sex Work / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D060386:Sex Workers / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012747:Sexual Partners / Q000523:psychology; D014930:Women / Q000523:psychology*