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Toward a more domain-specific conceptualization of female traits: A commentary on Benenson et al. (2022)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 July 2022

Courtney L. Crosby ,
Rebecka K. Hahnel-Peeters  and
David M. Buss Open the ORCID record for David M. Buss [Opens in a new window]
Courtney L. Crosby
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]://davidbuss.com
Rebecka K. Hahnel-Peeters
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]://davidbuss.com
David M. Buss
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]://davidbuss.com
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Abstract

Benenson et al. (2022) amass impressive evidence of robust sex differences as support for expanding “staying alive” theory. We argue for a broader and more domain-specific conceptualization focusing on life history tradeoffs between survival and mating success. Using three examples – women's disgust, fear of rape, and cultivation of bodyguards – we illustrate these tradeoffs and suggest a broader theoretical framework.

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 45 , 2022 , e134
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Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press

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