Definition
Concurrent mate retention tactics are defined as mate retention tactics that are complementary, such that the use of one tactic supports the use of another.
Introduction: The Taxonomy of Mate Retention
Once an individual secures a long-term mate or romantic partner, the individual has the adaptive problem of retaining the mate. As the word “retain” may be generally defined as “to keep possession or use of”, mate retention tactics might be considered to have as their aim the prevention of a mate from permanently defecting from or abandoning a long-term relationship. Although they do serve this purpose, mate retention tactics can also reduce the likelihood that a long-term mate will commit an infidelity or temporarily defect from a relationship by engaging in extra-pair copulations (EPCs). Mate retention tactics are, therefore, considered to be tactics that serve both purposes (e.g., Buss 1988; Shackelford et al. 2005). It follows that whether a particular mate retention...
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
References
Baker, R. R., & Bellis, M. A. (1993). Human sperm competition: Ejaculate adjustment by males and the function of masturbation. Animal Behaviour, 46, 861–885.
Buss, D. M. (1988). From vigilance to violence: Tactics of mate retention in American undergraduates. Ethology & Sociobiology, 9, 291–317.
Buss, D. M., & Shackelford, T. K. (1997). From vigilance to violence: Mate retention tactics in married couples. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 72, 346–361.
Buss, D. M., Shackelford, T. K., & McKibbin, W. F. (2008). The mate retention inventory-short form (MRI-SF). Personality and Individual Differences, 44, 322–334.
McKibbin, W. F., Goetz, A. T., Shackelford, T. K., Schipper, L. D., Starratt, V. G., & Stewart-Williams, S. (2007). Why do men insult their intimate partners? Personality and Individual Differences, 43(2), 231–241.
Shackelford, T. K., LeBlanc, G. J., Weekes-Shackelford, V. A., Bleske-Rechek, A. L., Euler, H. A., & Hoier, S. (2002). Psychological adaptation to human sperm competition. Evolution and Human Behavior, 23, 123–138.
Shackelford, T. K., Goetz, A. T., & Buss, D. M. (2005). Mate retention in marriage: Further evidence of the reliability of the Mate Retention Inventory. Personality and Individual Differences, 39, 415–425.
Shackelford, T. K., Goetz, A. T., Guta, F. E., & Schmitt, D. P. (2006). Mate guarding and frequent in-pair copulation in humans: Concurrent or compensatory anti-cuckoldry tactics? Human Nature, 17, 239–252.
Thornhill, R., & Alcock, J. (1983). The evolution of insect mating systems. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2016 Springer International Publishing AG
About this entry
Cite this entry
Davies, A. (2016). Concurrent Mate Retention Tactics. 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_152-1
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_152-1
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-16999-6
eBook Packages: Springer Reference Behavioral Science and PsychologyReference Module Humanities and Social SciencesReference Module Business, Economics and Social Sciences