Deception-detection and trust as major elements of mating-relevant behavior

Abstract

From an evolutionary perspective, there is nothing more important than mating and reproductive success. According to modern evolutionary psychology, humans have evolved various adaptive mating-related traits, which include ideas based on parental investment theory (Trivers, 1972), life history strategy (Figueredo et al., 2006), strategic pluralism (Gangestad & Simpson, 2000), and sexual strategies (Buss & Schmitt, 1993) for reproductive success. Mating intelligence (MI) can be defined as the cognitive processes (conscious or unconscious) that underlie successful mating-relevant interactions and outcomes (Geher & Kaufman, 2011). It has been proposed that performance in MI can predict one’s likelihood of attracting a viable mate, thus predicting reproductive success (Geher, Miller, & Murphy, 2008). However, currently only a self-report scale of MI exists (Geher & Kaufman, 2007). Although this study was originally aimed to develop an ability-based measurement of MI (which would allow us to tap an individual’s actual abilities that may lead to reproductive success), exploratory analysis of the data proved to be most fruitful in the realm of mating-relevant deception-detection and correlates related to one’s tendency toward trusting others.