Starratt, V. G., McKibbin, W. F., & Shackelford, T. K. (2013). Experimental manipulation of psychological mechanisms responsive to female infidelity. Personality and Individual Differences, 55, 59-62.

Experimental manipulation of psychological mechanisms responsive to female infidelity.

Starratt, V. G., McKibbin, W. F., & Shackelford, T. K.

 

Recent research indicates that men may have evolved mechanisms dedicated to detecting and responding to the risk of partner infidelity. Because activation of these ‘‘anti-cuckoldry’’ mechanisms depends onpartner infidelity, or the perception of partner infidelity, existing evidence for suchmechanisms relies oncorrelational data. The current study tests several predictions regarding men’s anti-cuckoldry mecha-nisms in an experimental design. As predicted, the results demonstrated: (1a) experimental activation of men’s anti-cuckoldry mechanisms by presenting them with a vignette depicting a female partner’s sexual infidelity; (1b) no activation of men’s anti-cuckoldry mechanisms by presenting them with a vignette depicting a sexual encounter without female infidelity; (2) experimental activation of men’s anti-cuckoldry mechanisms was influenced by their perceived risk of partner infidelity; and (3) women wernot influenced by the partner infidelity manipulation.

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