"It's not you, it's everyone who isn't you" The hypothesis that women during ovulation are more attracted to men who are not their partners is being confirmed
Economist
It is easy to understand why men are not faithful to their female partners. When it comes to reproduction, a man's success depends mainly on the number of females he can impregnate. The explanation for women's infidelity is more complex. Evolutionarily, and in other respects as well, women need the quality of men, not their quantity. And even if their permanent partner is very successful genetically, it is likely that there are men whose genes are "better". Diversity also plays an important role: when different children of the same mother have different fathers, there is little chance that a natural disaster will wipe them all out.
These two factors, quality and variety, lead to the hypothesis that even women who have a permanent partner may want to cheat on him, at least occasionally. But betrayal may have a price. Even if today the adulterer or adulteress is not stoned, in many cases they are abandoned by their spouses.
Natural selection should therefore equip both sides in this arms race with useful weapons. The hypothesis is that in women the desire to cheat will arise when the chances of success (that is, getting pregnant) are the highest; And that during those periods of time the men will show increased vigilance in order to prevent their partners from cheating. This hypothesis was recently confirmed in the research of Steven Gangstad, Randy Thornhill and Christine Garver from the University of New Mexico.
Previous studies have shown that women's sexual feelings increase during ovulation (for example, it was found that during this period women dress in clothes that reveal larger parts of their bodies). Dr. Gangstad and his colleagues wondered if the increase in sexuality was aimed at all men or only at men who were not the "primary partners" of the women. In the second case, where the women's sexuality is directed towards other men, the researchers wondered what the reaction of the "main partners" would be.
The subjects in the study included 51 female students, 31 of whom had "main partners". The test subjects' hormone levels were measured to determine when they ovulated, and they were asked to fill out questionnaires - once during the ovulation period, and a second time outside the ovulation period.
The questionnaires dealt with the behavior of the subjects and the behavior of their partners. The questions about the subjects' behavior focused on their attraction to their partners and their fantasies about them, and in contrast to their attraction to other men and their fantasies about those men. The questions about the couple's behavior focused on displays of ownership and attention on their part. Ownership disclosures included phone calls aimed at finding out where the women were, rummaging through their personal belongings and getting angry when the woman was found alone with another man; Manifestations of attention included a willingness to pamper (gifts, meals in restaurants, etc.) and a tendency to be with the women at every free hour.
The analysis of the answers was recently published in the journal Society.” "Proceedings of the Royal As expected, in the women during ovulation there was a considerable increase in attraction to men who are not their partners and in fantasies about them. In the attraction to the couple and in the fantasies about them, on the other hand, only a slight increase was evident. That is, the increase in women's sexuality is not general, and it is directed towards men who are not their partners.
The couple, it turned out, were very aware (though probably unconsciously) of the feelings of their partners. The subjects reported that during the ovulation period they felt a considerable increase in displays of ownership and attention from the couple.
These results may be biased: it is possible that women feel more displays of ownership from their partners during ovulation because then these displays weigh more on them. In any case, it seems that natural selection has equipped men with sensitivities that allow them to direct their resources to warding off external interest in their partners. Now it remains for the researchers to check to what extent these male resources are diverted to search for other partners when the primary partner is not ovulating.
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