Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science

Living Edition
| Editors: Todd K. Shackelford, Viviana A. Weekes-Shackelford

Female Orgasm and In-Pair Copulation

  • Candace Jasmine BlackEmail author
  • Emily Anne Patch
  • Desirae Taylor
Living reference work entry
First Online:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_3665-1
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Introduction

Evolutionary analyses of human behavior characterize modern phenotypes as potential products of natural and sexual selection. Within evolutionary psychology, the human female orgasm generates debate as to an adaptive function because, compared to male orgasm and ejaculation, it is not required for fertilization (e.g., Lloyd 2009 and Puts and Dawood 2006). Evolutionary researchers have proposed two main theories offering adaptive explanations for the female orgasm (Puts et al. 2012a). These Mate-Choice Hypotheses argue that female orgasm increases the probability of producing offspring, thereby falling within the purview of natural selection. Of these adaptive hypotheses, the Pair-Bond Hypothesis would increase survival of offspring through women’s selection of long-term mates, while the Sire Choice Hypothesis focuses on orgasm’s potential to increases genetic quality of offspring through women’s selection of high-quality mates. We describe these models to frame current...

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Copyright information

© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2019

Authors and Affiliations

  • Candace Jasmine Black
    • 1
    Email author
  • Emily Anne Patch
    • 2
  • Desirae Taylor
    • 1
  1. 1.School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, New College of Interdisciplinary Arts & SciencesArizona State UniversityGlendaleUSA
  2. 2.Department of Psychological SciencesNorthern Arizona UniversityFlagstaffUSA

Section editors and affiliations

  • Brian B Boutwell
    • 1
  1. 1.Saint Louis UniversitySaint LouisUSA