Cross-Cultural Evidence for the Role of Parenting Costs Limiting Women’s Sexual Unrestrictedness

Evolutionary Psychological Science • Vol/Iss. 9 • Springer Nature • • Published In • Pages: 338-348 •
By Pirlott, Angela G., Foley, Matthew M.

Abstract

Humans, just like other mammals, tend to allow greater sexual freedom for men rather than women. Furthermore, females are burdened with the majority of parenting. Do parenting costs limit sexual unrestrictedness to a different degree for males and females? The authors find that across 48 cultures, as women’s parenting costs decreased through improved physiological and economic conditions, women’s sexual unrestrictedness increased.

Samples

Sample Used Coded Data Comment
World BankOther researchersData on fertility rate from 2000.
Schmitt (2005) sociosexuality datasetOther researchersData on 48 countries.
UNICEFOther researchersData on breastfeeding prevalence from 2020.
World Economic ForumOther researchersData on contraceptive prevalence, maternal mortality rate, and women's economic conditions from 2006.
International Consortium for Emergency ContraceptionOther researchersData on emergency contraception prevalence from 2020.
Center for Reproductive RightsOther researchersData on abortion accessibility from 2007.

Hypotheses (2)

HypothesisSupported
As women's physiological parenting costs decrease, women's sexual unrestrictedness increases.Supported
As women's access to economic resources increases, women's sexual unrestrictedness increases as well.Supported
Documents and Hypotheses Filed By: isanaraja