Operational Sex Ratios

Operational Sex Ratios

The ratio of reproductively-viable males to females in a given population (i.e., the Operational Sex Ratio) can influence a host of mating-related behaviors. We are interested in examining how human behavior is sensitive to mate scarcity versus abundance. We have recently found that men and women primed with perceived mate-scarcity behave more aggressively toward an intrasexual competitor (Arnocky, Ribout, Mirza, & Knack, 2014), and that men primed with mate scarcity hold more restricted sociosexual attitudes and are less willing to cheat on a current romantic partner.