title: Promiscuity is related to masculine and feminine body traits in both men and women: evidence from Brazilian and Czech samples.
abstract: One of the possible explanations for human within-sex variation in promiscuity stems from conditional strategies dependent on the level of body sex-dimorphism. There is some evidence that masculine men and feminine women are more promiscuous than their sex-atypical counterparts, although mixed results persist. Moreover, another line of evidence shows that more promiscuous women are rather sex-atypical. We tested whether diverse sex-dimorphic body measures (2D:4D, WHR/WSR, handgrip strength, and height and weight) influence sociosexual desires, attitudes, promiscuous behavior, and age of first intercourse in a sex-typical or sex-atypical direction. Participants were 185 young adults, 51 men and 54 women from Brazil, and 40 men and 40 women from the Czech Republic. In men stronger handgrip and more feminine 2D:4D predicted higher sociosexual behaviors, desires, and lower age of the first sexual intercourse. While in women, sociosexual desires were predicted by lower handgrip strength and more feminine 2D:4D. It thus seems that it is rather a mixture of masculine and feminine traits in men, and feminine traits in women that increase their sociosexuality. Masculine traits (height) predicting female promiscuous behavior were specific for only one population. In conclusion, a mosaic combination of sex-typical but also sex-atypical independent body traits can lead to higher promiscuity, particularly in men. Limitations, implications, and future directions for research are considered. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Neotropical Behaviour.
authors.affiliation: Department of Basic Psychological Processes, Institute of Psychology, University of Brasilia, Campus Darcy Ribeiro, ICC Sul, Sala AT 022/4, CEP 70.910-900 Brasília, DF, Brazil; Department of Experimental Psychology, Institute of Psychology, University of Sao Paulo, Av. Prof. Mello Moraes n°1721, CEP 05508-030, Cidade Universitária, São Paulo, SP, Brazil. Electronic address: macvarella@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Marco Antonio Correa
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Varella
authors.affiliation: Center for Theoretical Study, Charles University in Prague and The Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Jilska 1, 110 00 Prague 1, Czech Republic. Electronic address: valentova@cts.cuni.cz.
authors.forename: Jaroslava Varella
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Valentova
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Psychology, Institute of Psychology, University of Sao Paulo, Av. Prof. Mello Moraes n°1721, CEP 05508-030, Cidade Universitária, São Paulo, SP, Brazil. Electronic address: kamilajpereira@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Kamila Janaina
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Psychology, Institute of Psychology, University of Sao Paulo, Av. Prof. Mello Moraes n°1721, CEP 05508-030, Cidade Universitária, São Paulo, SP, Brazil. Electronic address: vsbussab@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Vera Silvia Raad
authors.initials: VS
authors.lastname: Bussab
mesh_terms: D001290:Attitude; D049628:Body Size / Q000502:physiology*; D001938:Brazil; D003075:Coitus / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology; D018153:Czech Republic; D005260:Female; D018737:Hand Strength / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000502:physiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Conditional strategies; Individual differences; Masculinity; Promiscuity; Sexual dimorphism; Sociosexuality