Showing Off in Humans: Male Generosity as a Mating Signal
We examined people's charity contributions while in the presence of an observer of the same sex, opposite sex, or no observer. Inspired by costly signaling theory, we hypothesized that men would be more generous in the presence of a potential mate. Men and women played a number of experimental...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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SAGE Publishing
2008-07-01
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| Series: | Evolutionary Psychology |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1177/147470490800600302 |
| _version_ | 1811286531753639936 |
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| author | Wendy Iredale Mark Van Vugt Robin Dunbar |
| author_facet | Wendy Iredale Mark Van Vugt Robin Dunbar |
| author_sort | Wendy Iredale |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | We examined people's charity contributions while in the presence of an observer of the same sex, opposite sex, or no observer. Inspired by costly signaling theory, we hypothesized that men would be more generous in the presence of a potential mate. Men and women played a number of experimental games in which they could earn money. On completion of these games participants were asked what percentage of their earned money they would be willing to donate to charity. Our results show that men contribute more to charity when observed by a member of the opposite sex than by a member of the same sex or no observer. Conversely, female charity donations did not significantly vary across the three observer conditions. Findings support the notion that men's generosity might have evolved as a mating signal. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T03:01:38Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-6bdcb126dc204b2995a19d57ef0b3b94 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1474-7049 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T03:01:38Z |
| publishDate | 2008-07-01 |
| publisher | SAGE Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Evolutionary Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-6bdcb126dc204b2995a19d57ef0b3b942022-12-22T03:05:24ZengSAGE PublishingEvolutionary Psychology1474-70492008-07-01610.1177/14747049080060030210.1177_147470490800600302Showing Off in Humans: Male Generosity as a Mating SignalWendy IredaleMark Van VugtRobin DunbarWe examined people's charity contributions while in the presence of an observer of the same sex, opposite sex, or no observer. Inspired by costly signaling theory, we hypothesized that men would be more generous in the presence of a potential mate. Men and women played a number of experimental games in which they could earn money. On completion of these games participants were asked what percentage of their earned money they would be willing to donate to charity. Our results show that men contribute more to charity when observed by a member of the opposite sex than by a member of the same sex or no observer. Conversely, female charity donations did not significantly vary across the three observer conditions. Findings support the notion that men's generosity might have evolved as a mating signal.https://doi.org/10.1177/147470490800600302 |
| spellingShingle | Wendy Iredale Mark Van Vugt Robin Dunbar Showing Off in Humans: Male Generosity as a Mating Signal Evolutionary Psychology |
| title | Showing Off in Humans: Male Generosity as a Mating Signal |
| title_full | Showing Off in Humans: Male Generosity as a Mating Signal |
| title_fullStr | Showing Off in Humans: Male Generosity as a Mating Signal |
| title_full_unstemmed | Showing Off in Humans: Male Generosity as a Mating Signal |
| title_short | Showing Off in Humans: Male Generosity as a Mating Signal |
| title_sort | showing off in humans male generosity as a mating signal |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1177/147470490800600302 |
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