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Cited by 974Evolutionary Psychology and Human BehaviorAnimal Behavior and ReproductionMarriage and Sexual Relationships

Sociosexuality from Argentina to Zimbabwe: A 48-nation study of sex, culture, and strategies of human mating

Schmitt, David P.·2005·Behavioral and Brain Sciences
DOI 10.1017/s0140525x05000051
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Abstract

The Sociosexual Orientation Inventory (SOI; Simpson & Gangestad 1991) is a self-report measure of individual differences in human mating strategies. Low SOI scores signify that a person is sociosexually restricted, or follows a more monogamous mating strategy. High SOI scores indicate that an individual is unrestricted, or has a more promiscuous mating strategy. As part of the International Sexuality Description Project (ISDP), the SOI was translated from English into 25 additional languages and administered to a total sample of 14,059 people across 48 nations. Responses to the SOI were used to address four main issues. First, the psychometric properties of the SOI were examined in cross-cultural perspective. The SOI possessed adequate reliability and validity both within and across a diverse range of modern cultures. Second, theories concerning the systematic distribution of sociosexuality across cultures were evaluated. Both operational sex ratios and reproductively demanding environments related in evolutionary-predicted ways to national levels of sociosexuality. Third, sex differences in sociosexuality were generally large and demonstrated cross-cultural universality across the 48 nations of the ISDP, confirming several evolutionary theories of human mating. Fourth, sex differences in sociosexuality were significantly larger when reproductive environments were demanding but were reduced to more moderate levels in cultures with more political and economic gender equality. Implications for evolutionary and social role theories of human sexuality are discussed.

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Crossref · 10.1017/s0140525x05000051

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7 of 7 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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  • Non-zoonotic disease prevalence is associated with a more restricted female sociosexuality, r = 0.38, n = 45, p < 0.01, but is not associated with male sociosexuality, r = 0.11, n = 45, p = 0.46.

    “non-zoonotic disease prevalence is associated with a more restricted female sociosexuality, r ¼ 0.38, n ¼ 45, p , 0.01, but is not associated with male sociosexuality, r ¼ 0.11, n ¼ 45, p ¼ 0.46”

    From Parasite-stress promotes in-group assortative sociality: The cases of strong family ties and heightened religiosity (2012) · cites this paper as Schmitt 2005

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Authors
Schmitt, D. P.
Affiliations
Bradley University (US)
Corresponding author
Schmitt, David P.
ORCID
Schmitt, David P.
Venue
Behavioral and Brain Sciences
Publisher
Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Published
2005-04
Volume
28
Issue
2
Pages
247-275
ISSN
  • 0140-525X (ISSN-L)
  • 1469-1825
DOI
10.1017/s0140525x05000051
OpenAlex
W2138051924
Cited by
974
References
7
Citations by year
2026: 15 · 2025: 32 · 2024: 54 · 2023: 48 · 2022: 50 · 2021: 63 · 2020: 59 · 2019: 67 · 2018: 55 · 2017: 49 · 2016: 53 · 2015: 70 · 2014: 70 · 2013: 45 · 2012: 57
FWCI
31.23
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
www.cambridge.org/core/terms (unspecified, 133 d)
Locations
  • Behavioral and Brain Sciences (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Evolutionary Psychology and Human Behavior
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics › Animal Behavior and Reproduction
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Marriage and Sexual Relationships
Keywords
sociosexuality, mating strategies, cross-cultural comparison, sex differences, operational sex ratio, gender equality, psychometric properties, monogamy, promiscuity
MeSH terms
Argentina, Coitus, Courtship, Cross-Cultural Comparison, Culture, Biological Evolution, Female, Gender Identity, Humans, Individuality, Male, Personality Inventory, Psychometrics, Sexual Behavior, Sex Characteristics, Sex Ratio, Social Control, Informal, Women's Rights, Zimbabwe, Reproducibility of Results, Sexuality

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