Citation

Schmitt DP, Alcalay L, Allik J, Angleitner A, Ault L, Austers I, Bennett KL, Bianchi G, Boholst F, Borg Cunen MA, Braeckman J, Brainerd EG, Caral LG, Caron G, Casullo MM, Cunningham M, Daibo I, De Backer C, De Souza E, Diaz-Loving R, Diniz G, Durkin K, Echegaray M, Eremsoy E, Euler HA, Falzon R, Fisher ML, Foley D, Fry DP, Fry S, Ghayur MA, Golden DL, Grammer K, Grimaldi L, Halberstadt J, Haque S, Herrera D, Hertel J, Hoffmann H, Hooper D, Hradilekova Z, Hudek-Kene-evi J, Jaafar J, Jankauskaite M, Kabangu-Stahel H, Kardum I, Khoury B, Kwon H, Laidra K, Laireiter AR, Lakerveld D, Lampert A, Lauri M, Lavallee M, Lee SJ, Leung LC, Locke KD, Locke V, Luksik I, Magaisa I, Marcinkeviciene D, Mata A, Mata R, McCarthy B, Mills ME, Mkhize NJ, Moreira J, Moreira S, Moya M, Munyae M, Noller P, Opre A, Panayiotou A, Petrovic N, Poels K, Popper M, Poulimenou M, P'yatokha V, Raymond M, Reips UD, Reneau SE, Rivera-Aragon S, Rowatt WC, Ruch W, Rus VS, Safir MP, Salas S, Sambataro F, Sandnabba KN, Schulmeyer MK, Schütz A, Scrimali T, Shackelford TK, Shaver PR, Sichona F, Simonetti F, Sineshaw T, Sookdew R, Speelman T, Spyrou S, Sümer HC, Sumer N, Supekova M, Szlendak T, Timmermans B, Tooke W, Tsaousis I, Tungaraza FS, van Overwalle F, Vandermassen G, Vanhoomissen T, Vanwesenbeeck I, Vasey PL, Verissimo J, Voracek M, Wan WW, Wang TW, Weiss P, Wijaya A, Woertman L, Youn G, Zupanèiè A. J. Pers. Soc. Psychol. 2004; 86(4): 560-584.

Affiliation

Department of Psychology, Bradley University, Peoria, IL 61625, USA. dps@bradley.edu

Copyright

(Copyright © 2004, American Psychological Association)

DOI

10.1037/0022-3514.86.4.560

PMID

15053706

Abstract

As part of the International Sexuality Description Project, 16,954 participants from 53 nations were administered an anonymous survey about experiences with romantic attraction. Mate poaching--romantically attracting someone who is already in a relationship--was most common in Southern Europe, South America, Western Europe, and Eastern Europe and was relatively infrequent in Africa, South/Southeast Asia, and East Asia. Evolutionary and social-role hypotheses received empirical support. Men were more likely than women to report having made and succumbed to short-term poaching across all regions, but differences between men and women were often smaller in more gender-egalitarian regions. People who try to steal another's mate possess similar personality traits across all regions, as do those who frequently receive and succumb to the poaching attempts by others. The authors conclude that human mate-poaching experiences are universally linked to sex, culture, and the robust influence of personal dispositions.

Language: en