Sociobiological theory and casual encounters on Craigslist : an honors thesis [(HONRS 499)]

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Authors
McLean, Christine L.
Advisor
Gaither, George A.
Issue Date
2010
Keyword
Degree
Thesis (B.?.)
Department
Honors College
Other Identifiers
Abstract

Existing research on mating strategies in sociobiological theory focuses largely on long-term mating strategies, and has found differences in the behavior and preferences of men and women (see Wiederman 1993). The current study focused on short-term mating strategies by studying 1,724 hook-up advertisements from Craigslist.com for men seeking women and women seeking men to see if observed gender differences persist when the goal of mating is not reproduction. Results showed that while men's mating strategies do not appear to differ based on the goal of mating, the behavior of women is inconsistent with sociobiological theory when the goal of mating is simply sex and not reproduction. Risk-taking behavior (contraceptive use, drug use, sexually transmitted infections) was also assessed for frequency. Repercussions for sociobiological theory are discussed, as well as limitations and suggestions for future research.