Testing the Cuckoldry Risk Hypothesis of Partner Sexual Coercion in Community and Forensic Samples

Evolutionary theory has informed the investigation of male sexual coercion but has seldom been applied to the analysis of sexual coercion within established couples. The cuckoldry risk hypothesis, that sexual coercion is a male tactic used to reduce the risk of extrapair paternity, was tested in two...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Joseph A. Camilleri, Vernon L. Quinsey
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SAGE Publishing 2009-04-01
Series:Evolutionary Psychology
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1177/147470490900700203
Description
Summary:Evolutionary theory has informed the investigation of male sexual coercion but has seldom been applied to the analysis of sexual coercion within established couples. The cuckoldry risk hypothesis, that sexual coercion is a male tactic used to reduce the risk of extrapair paternity, was tested in two studies. In a community sample, indirect cues of infidelity predicted male propensity for sexual coaxing in the relationship, and direct cues predicted propensity for sexual coercion. In the forensic sample, we found that most partner rapists experienced cuckoldry risk prior to committing their offence and experienced more types of cuckoldry risk events than non-sexual partner assaulters. These findings suggest that cuckoldry risk influences male sexual coercion in established sexual relationships.
ISSN:1474-7049