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When danger strikes: The conceptual linkage between threat and sexual openness in women
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2025-12-03
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Abstract
Previous literature has suggested that women’s mating psychology may adaptively shift during times of environmental harshness. However, there is limited quantitative evidence examining associations between gender, environmental harshness, and sexual openness. Therefore, the current research sought to examine (a) perceptions of men’s and women’s frequency of using sex as a tool, (b) associations between gender, levels of environmental harshness, anxiety, and sexual openness, and (c) associations between environmental hardship primes, gender, anxiety levels, and sexual openness. Results revealed that participants believed women used sex as a tool to garner resources more frequently than men. However, this perception was not necessarily supported by the data. The findings, while inconsistent, indicated that for women with low levels of anxiety, feelings of resource scarcity were associated with lower levels of sexual openness. Future research should examine other environmental factors (e.g., living in a dangerous environment) that may influence women’s mating strategies.
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Psychology
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Hill, Sarah E.