رقابت مات در پاکستان: ارزش مادری، نگهداری همسر و محدودیت رقیب

Mate retention and competitor derogation are two key components of human mate competition. In a conservative, religious sample from Pakistan (N = 255), the current study investigated evolutionarily informed hypotheses regarding a) sex differences in competitor derogation and mate retention, b) the relationship between mate value and mate retention tactics, and c) the role religiosity plays in predicting the type of mate retention behaviors. The results indicated that across both sexes, higher mate value predicted greater use of mate retention tactics and also predicted overall competitor derogation. Men more than women used tactics of resource display, violence, intra-sexual threats, sexual inducements, derogation of mate, possessive ornamentation, and monopolization. The results also showed that greater religiosity predicted increased use of cost-inflicting mate retention behaviors among men and decreased use among women. To our knowledge, the current study is the first to investigate mating psychology in Pakistan from an evolutionary perspective.