Psychology of Sex

Sex. What are men and women really looking for? Here are some expert insights�The word �sex� can bring powerful images to mind.� But while your first thought might be of a scantily-clad model or George Clooney, human sexuality runs far deeper than the superficial appreciation of beauty. Evolutionary psychology can provide real insight into how both men and women approach sex.� While our conscious desire for sex seems to be governed by our physical attraction to others, our emotions, and our fears, we all have a fundamental instinct to reproduce that silently influences what we find attractive, how we feel, and what we fear.� Each gender�s approach to sex is influenced by the relative scarcity of their reproductive materials.� While males have an almost limitless number of sperm, females have relatively few eggs, so women typically put a higher �price� on their eggs. Given this, there are unique strategies that males and females employ to maximize their reproductive fitness.� For example, men are almost invariably more promiscuous than women.� This is because the most reproductively fit man wants to get as many females pregnant as possible.� For the same reason, men are instinctively attracted to traits that indicate health and fertility like glossy hair, shiny eyes, and a classic hourglass figure.� In fact, in many wildly different cultures the �ideal� female body is the same � one where the waist is 71% of the size of the hips.� Women have a different evolutionary imperative.� The physical toll of childbearing combined with the relative scarcity of eggs elevates the survival of each child to paramount importance.� A woman therefore wants a mate who will invest in her and in their child, and who can provide for the family.� The type of man that a woman is drawn to changes depending on how likely she is to reproduce. When ovulating, women tend to be more attracted to �solid� types, capable of caring for offspring, but when women aren�t ovulating, they go for more �good-looking� men with less concern about character.� There�s also an evolutionary basis for common relationship fears. A man naturally fears cuckolding, which is when his wife bears someone else�s child, as this prevents him from reproducing and redirects his resources to someone else�s progeny.� Women commonly fear that their mate might leave, a fear related to the evolutionary reality that this would undermine future procreation and impair their children�s chances of success.� Also, surprisingly, many activities like physical fighting may be indirect facets of sexual behavior: males fight other males to become dominant and dominant males get the chicks.� Sex is a fascinating topic.� The attractions and emotions which guide us in our sexual choices are often our body�s way of communicating a basic evolutionary instinct.� So, the next time you feel attracted to a co-worker ask yourself what your body is really saying.� If you are interested in learning more about this topic, check out other videos and sources on this subject.