bims-chumac Biomed News
on Context effects on human mate choice
Issue of 2021–06–27
four papers selected by
Thomas Krichel, Open Library Society



  1. Cyberpsychol Behav Soc Netw. 2021 Jun 25.
      This study examines digitally enabled mate poaching on Ashley Madison, an online dating platform for extradyadic affairs. To explore mate poaching as a potential explanation for what drives users of Ashley Madison to transition their online relationships to offline encounters, we conducted a multinational survey of 1,676 users (88.5 percent male, Mage = 50.98). Participants provided open-ended data about their mate poaching objectives, which ranged from short-term sexual encounters to long-term sexual and emotional affairs and new exclusive relationships. Structural equation modeling showed that participants' attitudes toward online infidelity predicted whether they would consider meeting someone from the website in person. Mate poaching intentions also mediated the effect of attitudes toward online infidelity on the likelihood of meeting another user face to face in the future. The results extend evolutionary theories of mate poaching to the digital dating environment and demonstrate the value of these perspectives for explaining relationship initiation practices on infidelity websites.
    Keywords:  attraction; evolutionary theory; infidelity; mate poaching; online dating
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1089/cyber.2020.0563
  2. Cogn Res Princ Implic. 2021 Jun 26. 6(1): 46
      In recent decades, there has been an explosion of research into the crossmodal influence of olfactory cues on multisensory person perception. Numerous peer-reviewed studies have documented that a variety of olfactory stimuli, from ambient malodours through to fine fragrances, and even a range of chemosensory body odours can influence everything from a perceiver's judgments of another person's attractiveness, age, affect, health/disease status, and even elements of their personality. The crossmodal and multisensory contributions to such effects are reviewed and the limitations/peculiarities of the research that have been published to date are highlighted. At the same time, however, it is important to note that the presence of scent (and/or the absence of malodour) can also influence people's (i.e., a perceiver's) self-confidence which may, in turn, affect how attractive they appear to others. Several potential cognitive mechanisms have been put forward to try and explain such crossmodal/multisensory influences, and some of the neural substrates underpinning these effects have now been characterized. At the end of this narrative review, a number of the potential (and actual) applications for, and implications of, such crossmodal/multisensory phenomena involving olfaction are outlined briefly.
    Keywords:  Attraction; Crossmodal; Fragrance; Multisensory; Person perception; Scent
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1186/s41235-021-00311-3
  3. Life Sci Soc Policy. 2021 Jun 21. 17(1): 5
      People with disabilities face attitudinal barriers including prejudice, stereotypes, and low expectations. Many young people without disabilities may doubt that people with disabilities can be fulfilling partners in any loving adult relationship. The objective of the present research was to assess the willingness of non-disabled youth to engage in conjugal relationships with persons with disabilities in Wolaita Sodo town, Ethiopia. Both descriptive and explanatory study designs were used and quantitative data were collected. A self-administered questionnaire was designed and distributed to randomly selected 403 (202 females & 201 males) unmarried youth. Data analysis was undertaken using SPSS software in which both descriptive and inferential statistical techniques were utilized for data presentation. The result showed that most (85.5%) of the young people without disabilities participated in the survey were not willing to have any type of personal relationships with persons with disabilities and the main reason for 44.2% of these respondents being the fear of reaction from family members. Furthermore, it was found that the level of willingness of youth without disabilities to engage in romantic love and marital relationships was not influenced by the socio-economic status of people with disabilities. Moreover, the result of binary logistic regression analysis showed that the willingness of respondents to have marital and romantic love relationship with persons with disabilities is significantly associated to the sex (OR = 2.376; P < 0.05; 95%CI = 1.210, 4.664), raised-up area (OR = 2.512; P < 0.01; 95%CI = 1.319, 4.783), age (OR = 2.886; P < 0.05; 95%CI = 1.012, 8.228) and the presence of person with disability in the family (OR = 3.945; P < 0.01; 95%CI = 1.648, 9.442) of respondents. The findings of the present research demonstrate that people with disabilities have continued to face stereotypes and discriminations. Such stereotypes extend to assuming them as asexual and unfit to carryout roles that arise from love or marital relationships which violates the rights of PWDs to form their own family and have children. It is therefore, important to raise the awareness of young people about the differences between disability and sexuality and that physical disability has nothing to do with sexuality and relationship formation.
    Keywords:  Disability; Relationship; Sexuality; Stereotype; Youth without disability
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1186/s40504-021-00114-w
  4. J Lesbian Stud. 2021 Jun 23. 1-21
      Research on body image commonly focuses on the negative aspects of the construct, and the majority of findings related to body image in general arise from quantitative methods of investigation. Furthermore, little is known about the experiences lesbian women go through as they come out, and what consequence this has on their body image. In this study we examined the experiences of 12 lesbian women and explored how coming out affected their body image. Data were collected via face-to-face interviews and analyzed using thematic analysis. Participants' ages ranged from 20 to 33 (M = 25). The analysis revealed that all participants reported experiencing improved body image after coming out. Other changes related to the presentation of sexual identity in terms of how they dressed, i.e., presenting as either more masculine or feminine. Most participants reported feeling that the sexual and gender minority community was more accepting of different body shapes and sizes compared to the heteronormative society in which they resided. Negative feelings and experiences related to family situations, and occasionally from within themselves. The results are important in understanding how gender and sexual orientation are intertwined to create a distinct experience of body image in lesbian women, and also to illustrate the heterogeneity of body image within subgroups of women.
    Keywords:  Lesbian; body image; coming out; qualitative; thematic analysis
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1080/10894160.2021.1937844