2. Sex, Evolution, and Google
Patrick M. Markey
Interpersonal Research Lab
InterpersonalResearch.com

3. SEX
Why do it?
Typically think of sex as a conscious choice motivated by romantic love, simple pleasure or to reproduce.
Typically think of sex as a CS choice. One that is motivated by romantic love.
May be more latent interpersonal values to these behaviors.
May be driven by evolutionary history in ways we never think to consider.

4. SEX The causes and consequences of sex can be complex.
How are our daily behavioral patterns related to sexual promiscuity?
What can Bonobos menstrual cycles teach us about sex?
Do our past sexual behaviors relate to the love and harmony we experience in our current relationships?
How did President Obama affect our sex lives?
Buss and colluges have discovered over 200 reasons why people have sex ranging from simple pleaurs, to spirtual (get closer to god), altrusitic (make someome feel good), to vengfunl (get back at my partner for cheating).

5. The Interpersonal Circumplex

6. The Interpersonal Circumplex

7. The Interpersonal Meaning of Sexual Promiscuity
Markey & Markey, 2007

8. Sex
"Sex is a conversation carried out by other means.”

9. Sex and Interpersonal Style
Is an individual’s interpersonal style related to his or her sexual promiscuity? 

10. Method Participates Measures 210 participants IAS
105 men and 105 women
Mean age = years
Measures
IAS
Sexual promiscuity (different levels of intimacy)
1) One minute continuous lip kissing
2) Manual manipulation of nude partner’s genitals
3) Oral manipulation of nude partner’s genitals
4) Sexual intercourse

11. Results
For both males and females dominance was positively related to:
1) One minute continuous lip kissing
2) Manual manipulation of nude partner’s genitals
3) Oral manipulation of nude partner’s genitals
4) Sexual intercourse

12. Results Warmth had a quadratic relationship with:
1) One minute continuous lip kissing
2) Manual manipulation of nude partner’s genitals
3) Oral manipulation of nude partner’s genitals
4) Sexual intercourse

14. One minute continuous lip kissing

15. Manual manipulation of nude partners genitals

16. Oral manipulation of nude partner’s genitals

17. Sexual intercourse

18. Sex and Interpersonal Style
Possible explanations why:
Dominant individuals
Not shy about seeking out partners
Submissive individuals
May wait to be sought out (and may remain waiting in some cases)
Cold individuals
May use sex as a way to avoid a monogamous relationship
Might view sex as a selfish act wherein they seek as much pleasure as possible
Warm individuals
May view sex as a generous act and use it as an opportunity to exchange love, intimacy or friendship with as many people as possible

19. The interpersonal nature of sexual behavior in romantic relationships
Garcia & Markey, 2007
Markey & Markey, 2009

20. Current Research
Examine two types of sexual behaviors in the context of romantic relationships
Prior sexual promiscuity
Sexual Adventure

21. Current Research
Examine two types of sexual behaviors in the context of romantic relationships
Prior sexual promiscuity
Sexual Adventure

22. Current Research
Examine two types of sexual behaviors in the context of romantic relationships
Prior sexual promiscuity
Sexual Adventure

23. Current Study What do we get? What works?
Do individuals tend to form long-term romantic relationships with other people who have similar levels of sexual promiscuity and adventure?
What works?
Do similar levels of sexual experience and adventure relate to harmonious and loving relationships?

24. Current Study What do we get? What works?
Do individuals tend to form long-term romantic relationships with other people who have similar levels of sexual promiscuity and adventure?
What works?
Do similar levels of sexual promiscuity and adventure relate to harmonious and loving relationships?

25. Participants 86 romantic couples (182 participants)
All involved in a monogamous relationship for at least 1 year
M age = years

26. Relationship Quality Martial Interaction Scale Love and commitment
“To what extent do you love your partner at this stage?”
“How committed do you feel toward your partner?”
Harmony
When you and your partner argue, how serious are the problems or arguments?
How often do you and your partner argue with each other?"

27. Sexual Promiscuity
Sexual promiscuity prior to the present relationship
How many different people, other than with your current partner, have you engaged in sexual intercourse (i.e., the penetration of the vagina by the penis) ?

28. Sexual Adventure 1. One minute continuous lip kissing with female.
Attached is a list of sexual activities in which you may or may not have engaged. Please indicate whether or not you engaged in each activity prior to your present relationship (Bentler’s Heterosexual Behavioral Inventory)
1. One minute continuous lip kissing with female.
2. Manual manipulation of clothed female breasts.
3. Manual manipulation of nude female breasts.
4. Manual manipulation of clothed female genitals.
5. Oral contact with nude female breasts.
6. Manual manipulation of nude female genitals.
7. Manual manipulation of your clothed genitals by female.
8. Mutual manual manipulation of clothed genitals with female.
9. Manual manipulation of your nude genitals by female.
10. Manual manipulation of nude female genitals to massive female genital secretions
11. Manual manipulation of your nude genitals to ejaculation.
12. Oral contact with your nude genitals by female.
13. Oral contact with nude female genitals.
14. Sexual intercourse (i.e., the penetration of the vagina by the penis)
15. Oral manipulation of nude female genitals.
16. Oral manipulation of your nude genitals by female.
17. Mutual oral-genital manipulation with female.
18. Mutual manual manipulation of nude genitals with female to mutual orgasm.
19. Sexual intercourse, rear entry (i.e.,. The penetration of the anus by the penis).
20. Oral manipulation of your nude genitals to ejaculation.
21. Mutual oral manipulation of genitals with female to mutual orgasm.

29. Results Correlation between sexual promiscuity and sexual adventure
Male = .33**
Female = .37**

30. What do we get?
Do individuals tend to form long-term romantic relationships with other people who have similar levels of sexual promiscuity and adventure?

31. What we get
.29**
.28**
.21*
.20*

32. What works?
Do similar levels of sexual promiscuity and adventure relate to harmonious and loving relationships?

33. Actor-Partner Interdependence Model
Women’s sexual adventure
Women’s relationship quality
In all the anlayses you are presenting every model fit the data fairly well with nonsignficant Chi Squares and CFI indexes near Going to focus on path coefficents.
Men’s sexual adventure
Men’s
relationship quality

34. Actor-Partner Interdependence Model
Actor Effect
Women’s sexual adventure
Women’s relationship quality
Men’s sexual adventure
Men’s
relationship quality
Actor Effect

35. Actor-Partner Interdependence Model
Women’s sexual adventure
Women’s relationship quality
Partner Effect
Partner Effect
Men’s sexual adventure
Men’s
relationship quality

36. Actor-Partner Interdependence Model
Women’s sexual adventure
Women’s relationship quality
Similar sexual adventure
Men’s sexual adventure
Men’s
relationship quality

37. Actor-Partner Interdependence Model
Women’s sexual adventure
Women’s relationship quality
Actor-Partner Similarity Effect
Similar sexual adventure
Different
Drug Use
Actor-Partner Similarity Effect
Men’s sexual adventure
Men’s
relationship quality

38. Results: Promiscuity Actor and Partner Effects
Women’s sexual promiscuity
Women’s relationship quality
Men’s sexual promiscuity
Men’s
relationship quality

39. Results: Promiscuity Actor and Partner Effects
.03
-.26*
Women’s sexual promiscuity
Women’s sexual adventure
Women’s relationship quality
-.12
Both men and women had a significant actor effect (not statistically different from each other). Neither had a significant partner effect. In other words, individuals who tended to use illicit drugs thought they had a lot of conflict in their relationships – however, their partners did not perceive this conflict.
Men’s sexual promiscuity
Men’s sexual adventure
Men’s
relationship quality

40. Results: Promiscuity Actor-Partner Similarity Effect
Women’s sexual adventure
Women’s relationship quality
.04
Similar sexual promiscuity
Different
Drug Use
For women these was a signficant actor-partner difference effect – suggesting that when couples had different levels of substance use women tended to percive conflict but not men
Men’s sexual adventure
Men’s
relationship quality

41. Results: Adventure Actor and Partner Effects
Women’s sexual adventure
Women’s relationship quality
Men’s sexual adventure
Men’s
relationship quality

42. Results: Adventure Actor and Partner Effects
-.01
.-.01
Women’s sexual adventure
Women’s relationship quality
.01
.20*
Both men and women had a significant actor effect (not statistically different from each other). Neither had a significant partner effect. In other words, individuals who tended to use illicit drugs thought they had a lot of conflict in their relationships – however, their partners did not perceive this conflict.
Men’s sexual adventure
Men’s
relationship quality

43. Results: Adventure Actor-Partner Similarity Effect
Women’s sexual adventure
Women’s relationship quality
.22*
Similar sexual adventure
Different
Drug Use
For women these was a signficant actor-partner difference effect – suggesting that when couples had different levels of substance use women tended to percive conflict but not men
Men’s sexual adventure
Men’s
relationship quality

44. The interpersonal nature of sexual behavior in romantic relationships
Possible explanations why:
Sexually promiscuous men tend to report low levels of relationship quality
Commitment issues: Promiscuous men might not like being in monogamous relationships
Sexually adventurous men tend to have partners who report high levels of relationship quality
Sexual benefits: Women might obtain a sexual “benefit” by being in a relationship with an adventurous mate

45. Why is similarity important?
Sexually Adventurous
Not Sexually adventurous
Not Sexually Adventurous

46. Why is similarity important?
Sexually Adventurous
Not Sexually adventurous
Not Sexually Adventurous

47. Primates Bonobo “Pygmy Chimpanzee”
Ovulation is related to increases in sexual receptivity, selectivity, and attractiveness.
Is functionally designed to obtain attract and obtain mates with superior genetic quality.
Receptivity, Selectiveity, Attracvness
Bonobo “Pygmy Chimpanzee”

48. Primates During high fertility increases in: Sexual receptivity
Mate selectivity
Mate attraction behaviors
Ovulation is related to increases in sexual receptivity, selectivity, and attractiveness.
Is functionally designed to obtain attract and obtain mates with superior genetic quality.
Receptivity, Selectiveity, Attracvness

49. Primates
Some animals release powerful scents when ready to mate, while others display skin color change.
In humans ovulation is notoriously difficult to detect – but not impossible!
During the fertile phase of the menstrual cycle women will likely display behaviors related to successful reproduction.

50. Sexual receptivity during high fertility
Sexual behaviors
Think and fantasize about sex more
More likely to fantasize about having sex with a person who is not her primary mate
More likely to accept a date

51. Sexual receptivity during high fertility
Sexual behaviors
Pupil dilation (related to sexual arousal) while watching sexual stimuli more pronounced
Greater sexual activity (2.5 times more likely to have intercourse)

52. Mate selectivity during high fertility
Attraction to high genetic value males increases
Facial characteristics
Tall
Dominant behaviors
Deep voice

53. Mate attraction behaviors during high fertility
Strippers collect more money
About $150 more
Dress provocatively

54. Mate attraction behaviors during high fertility
Why?
Women may be altering their physical attractiveness to enhance their ability to compete with other women, ultimately for access to higher quality mates.

55. Do women alter their interpersonal attractiveness?

56. Changes in Interpersonal Styles During High Fertility
What interpersonal styles do men tend to find most attractive in a potential mate?
How do women alter their interpersonal styles during high fertility?
Are the answers to these two questions the same?
Markey & Markey, 2010

57. Interpersonal Style Preferences of Men
Study 1
101 men (Mean age = years).
All participants were single and currently interested in finding a romantic partner.

58. Study 1
Participants completed the IAS describing their “romantic ideal”.
The person who they thought it would be ideal to have a romantic relationship with (this could be a real or fictional person).

59. Men’s Ideal Mate
Angular location = 150; Amplitude = 1.24; R2 = .98

60. Men’s Ideal Mate

61. Next Step Men’s preferred interpersonal style for potential mates.
Hypothesis: During periods of high fertility women will alter their interpersonal styles to be interpersonally warmer.

62. Changes in Interpersonal Styles During High Fertility
Participants
86 women (mean age = 18.62)
55% were not currently using hormonal contraceptives (i.e., “normally cycling”)
45% were currently using hormonal contraceptives

63. Method For 31 nights participants completed:
The IAS indicting how they tended to behave that day.
Dominance (PA & HI)
Warmth (LM & DE)
Information about their menstrual cycle
Mean cycle length = days

64. Fertility Status

65. Method
An average of daily reports of interpersonal behaviors were provided by each participant.
Only 2% of the time did participants fail to report their daily behaviors.
Total of 2,603 daily reports provided by 86 participants

66. Results Outcomes = daily warmth or dominance
Level 1 predictor = probability of conception
Level 2 predictor = contraception use (0 = contraception used; 1 =normally cycling)
Cross level interaction x

67. Dominance

68. Dominance
Hormonal Contraceptives: t = -.07, p = .94

69. Dominance
Cross-level interaction (difference for hormonal contraceptives): t = -1.12, p = .26

70. Warmth

71. Warmth
Hormonal Contraceptives: t = 1.67, p = .10

72. Warmth
Cross-level interaction (difference for hormonal contraceptives): t = 3.80, p = .001

73. Results
Side effects (e.g., bloating, irritability, etc.) during various phases might alter interpersonal behaviors.
Two sets of scores were created excluding premenstrual and menstrual days
High fertile days (ovulatory phase)
Low fertile days (luteal phase)

74. High Fertile vs. Low Fertile days

75. High Fertile vs. Low Fertile days

76. High Fertile vs. Low Fertile days

77. Results Outcome = High fertility dominance or warmth
Predictor = Low fertility dominance or warmth
Predictor = contraception use

78. Results Outcome = High fertility dominance or warmth
Predictor = Low fertility dominance or warmth
Predictor = contraception use
High Fertility Dominance B
SE B
Beta
Low Fertility Dominance
.91
.08
.77**
High Fertility Warmth B
SE B
Beta
Low Fertility Warmth
.87
.06
.83**

79. Results Outcome = High fertility dominance or warmth
Predictor = Low fertility dominance or warmth
Predictor = contraception use
High Fertility Dominance B
SE B
Beta
Low Fertility Dominance
.91
.08
.77**
High Fertility Warmth B
SE B
Beta
Low Fertility Warmth
.87
.06
.83**
High Fertility Dominance B
SE B
Beta
Low Fertility Dominance
.91
.08
.77**
Cont. Use
-.04
.11
-.03
High Fertility Warmth B
SE B
Beta
Low Fertility Warmth
.87
.06
.83**
Con. Use
.31
.10
.22**

80. Change in Warmth and Dominance During High Fertility

82. Changes in Interpersonal Styles During High Fertility
Possible explanations why:
Women may be altering their “interpersonal attractiveness” during high fertility to enhance their ability to compete with other women, ultimately for access to higher quality mates.
Just like men have evolved the tendency to find physical characteristics related to high fertility (e.g., WHR, youth, etc.) men may have also evolved the tendency to find interpersonal styles which are most related to high fertility (warm-agreeable) as attractive.
These tendencies co-evolved together.

83. Changes in Sex Seeking Behaviors Following Competitions
Markey & Markey, 2010

84. What occurs when a primate wins or loses a competition?
Male chimpanzees that are the victim of aggression often avoid further conflict by submissive behaviors. Female chimpanzees attacked by more dominant females and dominant males often seek the same type of end to conflict and reassurance from their aggressor.
A submissive chimpanzee lets the aggressor know that he or she is not a threat through non-threatening postures such as presenting their back, crouching and bowing in front of the threatening chimpanzee, or bobbing. The submissive chimpanzee will approach the dominant chimpanzee with a fear grin on its face. It is attempting to present itself to the hostile chimpanzee as small and non-threatening. The aggressor will in turn allow the victim to move closer to him. Often he will gently touch the other chimpanzee's back, arm, or hand.
The initial contact is a very important part of the reassuring process that lessens the fearful chimpanzee's tension and excitement. Submissive postures and gestures are often accompanied by vocalizations such as grunts, squeaks, whimpers, or screams depending on the amount of distress the chimpanzee is experiencing.
Captive Chimpanzees

85. Loser Decrease in testosterone Likely to retreat from situation
Move lower in the dominance hierarchy.
Is often a less desirable mate after the contest than before the contest
Less access to mates

86. Winner Increase in testosterone Move up the dominance hierarchy.
Is often a more desirable mate after the contest than before the contest
More access to potential mates
Likely display sex seeking behaviors.

87. What about vicarious experiences of wining and losing?
WHEN a sports team wins or loses an athletic contest, its fans
respond much as the team athletes do: they bask in its glory and
suffer in its defeat. If their team wins, they wear team colors the
next day (4), talk about how “we” won (4,6,18), feel stronger (19)
and more optimistic (17), and are prouder of themselves (10). If
their team loses, the opposite happens, and fans feel defeated,
depressed, and angry.

88. Current Study
Do sex seeking behaviors increase when a person vicariously wins a competition of dominance rank order?
Individuals who vote for the winner of an election will likely express more sex seeking behaviors than individuals who vote for the loser of the election.
Linked changes in T to vicarious winning and losing – but did not focus on the psychological changes that might have been adaptive. Specifically, do we see changes in sex-seeking behaviors when a person vicriously wins a compettint

89. Sex Seeking Behaviors
Appearance
Location

90. Sex Seeking Behaviors
“GTL”
Gym
Tan
Laundry

91. Sexual Selection Theory
Traits and strategies have evolved as a consequence of mating advantage
Past: Men most reproductively successful if they had multiple mates
Current: Men desire a greater number of sex partners than women (10 vs. 3)
Past: Men most reproductively successful if they mated with healthy women capable of bearing children.
Current: Men tend to be attracted to young and attractive (full lips, clear and smooth skin, clear eyes, lustrous hair, and good muscle tone).
And while we're at it, what other female attributes turn men on? All together now--"big breasts, silky skin, red lips, long legs – all on a young, nubile babe." Evolutionary theory posits that these features have served as cues to a female’s reproductive and sexual viability over the course of time. In short, men have evolved to seek Porn Heaven--where "sex is sheer lust and physical gratification, devoid of more tender feelings and encumbering relationships, in which women are always aroused, or at least easily arousable, and ultimately are always willing" (Symons, p. 171). Evolution has insured the continuing success of the cosmetics, fashion, and pornography industries.

92. Sex Seeking Behaviors Men have evolved to seek a place where:
“sex is sheer lust and physical gratification, devoid of more tender feelings and encumbering relationships, in which women are always aroused, or at least easily arousable, and ultimately are always willing" (Donald Symons, p. 171).

93. Sex Seeking Behaviors
Pornography

94. Up to 25% of all internet search engine requests are for pornography (Ropelato, 2006).

95. Hypotheses
Individuals located in states that voted for the winner of an election will search out pornography more than individuals located in states that voted for the loser of an election.
2008 Presidential Election (Democrat Victory)
2004 Presidential Election (Republican Victory)
2006 Mid-term Election (Democrat Victory)

96. Participants
Any individual residing in the United States who entered select pornographic keywords into the Google search engine in 2004, 2006, and 2008.

97. State Voting Style 2004 Presidential Election

98. State Voting Style 2006 Midterm Election
The mean margin of victory in the 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, and 2008 presidential election was computed. Mean margin of victory greater than 5% was used to classify states.

99. WordTracker was used to determine which keywords individuals tend to use to search for pornography.
Identified the top ten keywords (e.g., “porn,” “boobs,” etc.) individuals tend to use to find pornography.

100. Relative Search Value Index (RSVI):
The % increase or decrease from the mean pornographic keywords in a given week.
This number is centered to remove mean state differences.
For each state RSVI were computed the week before and the week after an election

101. 2008 Presidential Election
sr = .31*
r = .08
Week before election Week after election

102. 2004 Presidential Election
sr = .29*
r = .01
Week before election Week after election

103. 2006 Midterm Election sr = .33* r = .02
Week before election Week after election

104. SEX The causes and consequences of sex can be complex.
Our interpersonal styles predict our sexual behaviors
Our past sexual behaviors not only predict who we tend to select for long term mates but who would also produce a loving and harmonious relationship.
Ovulation might alter women’s interpersonal behaviors in a manner consistent with evolutionary theory.
Our sex seeking behaviors are related to vicariously winning or losing a competitions of dominance rank order.
Buss and colluges have discovered over 200 reasons why people have sex ranging from simple pleaurs, to spirtual (get closer to god), altrusitic (make someome feel good), to vengfunl (get back at my partner for cheating).

105. Sex, Evolution, and Google
Patrick M. Markey
Interpersonal Research Lab
InterpersonalResearch.com