Mate guarding in humans

It involves discouraging the current mate from abandoning the relationship whilst also warding off intrasexual (same sex) rivals.

Mate guarding behaviour in males is much more likely to be elicited by the threat of sexual infidelity in a female partner, in comparison to emotional involvement outside the mateship.

[3][4] According to a 2004 study across multiple countries, 62% of men have attempted to mate poach for a short-term relationship, as opposed to 40% of women.

“In most world regions, women report less frequent poaching attempts for short-term and long-term relationships than men.

(Hudek-Knezevic et al., 2022) Schmitt et al. (2004) report that, across countries, an estimated 62% of men and 40% of women have attempted to mate poach for a short-term relationship.” (Fisher M., Wade J., and Moran J., 2023).

Another study sampling participants across ten different countries showed that 57% of men and 35% of women have attempted to mate poach.

This especially raises concern primarily due to the risk female infidelity poses for male paternity, or 'genetic cuckoldry'.

[5] Moreover, in physiological tests such as skin conductance and heart rate, men show greater levels of distress when asked to imagine a partner having sexual intercourse with another person.

If the female becomes fertilised, then the male loses the opportunity to reproduce with that partner for an extended period of time and his genes will not be passed on to the offspring.

Research has shown that women subconsciously change their behaviour across their menstrual cycle, such as dressing more provocatively, which is noticed by men.

[13] Krems, Neel, Neuberg, Puts and Kenrick (2016) also found that women created larger social distance between themselves and a competing female, but only if she was ovulating and attractive.

Mate guarding is a very likely explanation to this, but it may also have the benefits of increasing the female's protection, potentially from male poachers.

The authors interpreted these findings as, women who are dressed provocatively are seen as more promiscuous, so therefore are less likely to be introduced to partners due to the possibility of poaching.

Pillsworth, Haselton and Buss (2004) found that women are more likely to want to mate with males they are not currently pair bonded with during the ovulation period of their menstrual cycle.

[14] This is supported by the finding that during ovulation women who are both single or in a monogamous partnership with a man are more likely to desire to go to social gatherings where they may meet alternative mates.

Different qualities of the male partner have also been found to affect the existence of resistance to mate guarding in females.

[7] Women who experience this type of behaviour from their partners are more likely to show mate guarding resistance particularly by using covert tactics.

[25] Related to this, females who report less investment in their current relationship also exhibit more resistance to mate guarding by avoiding contact with their partner.

It has been found that women who show more avoidant attachment styles are more likely to resist their partners mate guarding attempts.