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Sex Differences
Sexually Explicit Media, Gender
Differences and Evolutionary Theory
By Margaretha Kasim, Artesia
McDaniel and Thomas Valencia
Introduction
 Two Major Problems addressed by Malmuth
(1996)
-Overly simplistic view of evolutionary
models
-Distrust of ideological implications
The Evolutionary Framework
 Darwin’s natural selection
 Evolution=continuous process of differential
reproductive success or fitness
 Malmuth suggest a complete theory of
evolution is one that incorporates Darwin’s
natural selection as well as the design of the
mind, as formed by evolutionary processes
and its interaction with the environment
Variability in Human Behavior
 Differences in mechanisms have resulted
from natural selection of different solutions
to adapative problems (which includes
gender)
Variability in Human Behavior
 Environmental Differences
-provide different input to the evolved
mechanism
-influence the development of various
mechanisms at certain times
-influence how people select their
environment
Evolutionary Metatheory
 Provides a framework for predicting the
presence or absence of gender differences
 Male and female face different evolutionary
problems causing the mechanisms of both to
evolve differently.
 A major area of evolutionary difference
=sexuality
Sexuality and Sex Differences
 Psychological mechanisms governing male
sexuality are not the same as female
sexuality due to different reproductive
consequences of sexual behavior
 Females produce greater parental investment
 Males produce greater reproductive success
Evolutionary Psychology and
Pornography
 Gender differences in sexual media can be
understood by using sexual strategies that
evolved differently
 Consumption of sexually explicit media is
the result of inherited differences in evolved
sexuality mechanisms interacting with
environmental forces
Sex Differences in Media
Consumption
 Males more frequently view sexually explicit
media reflecting elements of males shortterm sexual strategy
 Females consume less reflecting their longterm sexual strategy
Strategies, Stages and
Associative Networks
 4 stages for humans in sexual sequence
 Associative Networks
Attraction
 Males “designed” to be more visually
attracted to and aroused by sexual stimuli of
the opposite sex
 Females more attracted by males auditory ad
tactile stimulation
Similarity of Evolutionary
Adaptive Problems and Content
of Sexually Explicit Media
 Males Short-Term
Problems
1. # of avail. Partners
2. Sexual accessibility
3. Fertility of woman
4. Minimizing
investment
 Content, Male- targeted
Pornography
1. Numerous women
2. Women eager serve
3. Youthful women
4. Casual sex with no
investment
Similarity of Evolutionary
Problems and Content of
Female Targeted Porn
 Females Long Term
Mating Problem
1. Id of man who is
able to invest in her
2. Physical protection
3. Problem of
identifying mate with
good parental skills
 Content of Female
Targeted Porn
1. High status man
who desires her
2. Man is powerful
3. Man becomes kind
and gentle with her
by end of script