Human behavior

The way we think about ourselves is reflected in, and shaped by, the way we think about our actions. The identification of action can vary from mechanistic, low level depictions to far more comprehensive, high level depictions. This study tests the supposition that comprehensive understanding of action is a precondition for coherence in self-concept and that failure to generate stable, high level action identifications interferes with the formation of a stable and personally certain self-concept. It was predicted (and the results confirmed) that persons who experience fragmented action understanding (i.e., relatively low level action identification) demonstrate less coherence in their overall self-evaluative stance and greater self-uncertainty and self-instability. The relationships between self-concept and coherence (i.e., self-stability and self-certainty) and action identification level was studied in both a context-free manner and with respect to specific social roles. The results expand our understanding of the nature and impact of the organizational processes at work within the self system.

Many psychologists have promoted the use of personality traits and
other dispositional constructs for the prediction of human behavior.
However, other psychologists have concluded that individuals do not
exhibit sufficient cross-situational consistency in their behavior to
warrant the use of dispositional measures as predictors of behavior
(e.g., Mischel, 1968; Nisbett, 1980). The present research was
designed to demonstrate that cross-situational consistency correlation
coefficients may be inadequate indicators of the utility of
dispositional constructs. In particular, it was proposed that a
consideration of the situational constraint present within a situation
and the degree of the opportunity to self-select into a situation are
important factors which aid in the specification of when personality
traits can and cannot be used successfully to predict human behavior.

Over 90% of men and women marry, but as many as 50% of married men and women have affairs. Thus, in a self-report study of ideal mating arrangements, in which costs associated with infidelity are eliminated, it was hypothesized that men and women would prefer a mating arrangement of monogamy with the option of casual, extra-pair sex. Unexpectedly, men and women (N = 463) overwhelmingly preferred strictly monogamous mating arrangements when forced to select one such ideal arrangement. A hypothesized sex difference did emerge, however, with men more than women rating as more interesting those arrangements that included casual sex or partner variety. Discussion addresses several evolutionarily plausible accounts for the current results and integrates the current results with existing theories about sex differences and similarities in mating psychology and behavior.

Guarding oneself from cuckoldry can be a challenging task for males of socially monogamous species. Accordingly, human males may possess evolved psychological mechanisms designed to prevent their partner's infidelity, and to "correct" that infidelity if it occurs. Because preventative tactics are not failsafe, I hypothesized that men's reports of their mate-retention behaviors and copulation frequency would function as complimentary tactics (Study 1). Research has suggested that men's reports of their own anti-cuckoldry behaviors can be flawed, and that women may be more accurate. Therefore, Study 2 analyzed reports made by women of copulation frequency and their partner's mate-retention behaviors. In the two studies, the hypotheses that (1) men's reports of copulation frequency and their own mate-retention behaviors and (2) women's reports of copulation frequency and their partner's mate-retention behaviors would show positive correlations was supported. Discussion focuses on the use of copulation frequency and mate-retention behaviors as complimentary tactics in solving the adaptive problems of sperm competition and cuckoldry.

Sperm competition occurs when the sperm of multiple males concurrently occupy a female's reproductive tract and compete for fertilization. Sperm competition may have been a recurrent adaptive problem over human evolutionary history. Women's orgasm may facilitate retention of a particular man's sperm. I therefore hypothesized that men experiencing greater sperm competition risk will be particularly interested in the occurrence of their partner's copulatory orgasm. Men who are more satisfied with and invested in their relationship may experience greater costs in the event of sperm competition and potential cuckoldry. Therefore, these men may be more interested in ensuring their partner's copulatory orgasm. I hypothesized that men's relationship satisfaction and investment would predict interest in their partner's copulatory orgasm and moderate the link between sperm competition risk and interest in partner's copulatory orgasm. Using data secured from 229 men in a committed relationship, I tested and found support for these hypotheses.