Abstract
Comparing the behavior of heterosexual and homosexual persons can provide insight into the origins of heterosexual sex differences in psychology. Evidence indicates that, aside from sexual partner preference, the mating psychology of homosexual men is sex-typical whereas that of homosexual women tends to be more sex-atypical. The current study examined one aspect of mating psychology, mate retention behavior, and tested whether homosexual men and women were sex-typical or sex-atypical for those mate retention tactics where heterosexual men and women differed. Men and women in heterosexual and homosexual relationships were asked to provide information regarding their partners’ mate retention behavior by using the Mate Retention Inventory Questionnaire. Heterosexual men and women differed significantly for six of the 19 mate retention tactics considered. With respect to the six mate retention tactics where heterosexual sex differences existed, homosexual men behaved in a sex-typical manner for five of the tactics, whereas homosexual women behaved in a sex-atypical manner for all six tactics. We discuss the significance of these findings for explaining the origins of the mate retention behavior of heterosexual men and women. In addition, we consider what the pattern of sex-typical and sex-atypical mating psychology among homosexual men and women, respectively, suggests in regard to sex differences in the development of mating psychology and the development of homosexual persons.
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Acknowledgements
The authors wish to thank Jean Choi, Brooke Best, Reginia Yan, Peter Hurd, Jared McKenzie, Nadine Duckworth, Angela Conroy, and Bradley Moser for helping with data collection and organization as well as John Vokey, Martin Lalumière, Scott Allen, Richard Querel, Sandeep Mishra, Kelly Suschinsky, Michelle Corcoran, Nancy Bartlett, and John Linder for offering their support and advice. The authors also thank the Editor, J. Michael Bailey, and two anonymous reviewers for their helpful suggestions. This research was funded by NSERC Undergraduate awards to Nadine Duckworth and Reginia Yan, by an Alberta Graduate Scholarship to DPV, by the University of Lethbridge, and by an Alberta STEP Award and a NSERC of Canada Discovery Grant to PLV.
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VanderLaan, D.P., Vasey, P.L. Mate Retention Behavior of Men and Women in Heterosexual and Homosexual Relationships. Arch Sex Behav 37, 572–585 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-006-9139-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-006-9139-y