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Use of Mate Retention Strategies

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  • First Online:
Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science

Synonyms

Mate guarding; Mate retention

Definition

Mate retention refers to effort aimed at maintaining access to a mate.

Introduction

Mate retention tactics comprise a broad menu of behaviors ranging from acts of kindness and resource provisioning, to vigilance, manipulation, and violence. Mate retention effort often occurs in response to a perceived or actual relationship threat. Sex differences and individual differences exist in the use of specific mate retention tactics, which share the common goal of reducing the probability of partner defection or infidelity. In order to understand the origins of these behaviors, it is necessary to understand the processes that underlie mate selection and the negative implications of partner loss.

Introduction

Trivers (1972) defined parental investment as “any investment by the parent that enhances the offspring’s chances of survival at the cost of the parents’ ability to invest in other offspring” (p. 139). Most often, females invest more in...

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Nipissing University, North Bay, Canada

    Graham Albert & Steven Arnocky

Authors
  1. Graham Albert
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  2. Steven Arnocky
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Graham Albert or Steven Arnocky .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Oakland Univ Dept of Psycholgy, Rochester, Michigan, USA

    Viviana Weekes-Shackelford

  2. Department of Psychology, Oakland University, Rochester, Michigan, USA

    Todd K. Shackelford

  3. Rochester, Michigan, USA

    Viviana A. Weekes-Shackelford

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Albert, G., Arnocky, S. (2016). Use of Mate Retention Strategies. In: Weekes-Shackelford, V., Shackelford, T., Weekes-Shackelford, V. (eds) Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_151-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_151-1

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  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-16999-6

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