Self-Perceived Mating Intelligence Predicts Sexual Behavior in College Students: Empirical Validation of a Theoretical Construct

Abstract

The cognitive abilities necessary to successfully navigate mating interactions have been termed “Mating Intelligence,” a theoretical construct that has only recently begun to receive empirical attention. In two studies using samples of undergraduates, we found that one's responses on a self-report Mating Intelligence measure predicts reproductive behavior in both sexes. In the first, higher scores on the survey were associated with more sexual partners in males and early sexual onset in females. The second study, which measured “hook-ups,” or uncommitted sexual encounters, again found higher scores to predict more partners in males. Females with high scores had more hook-ups with males who would be good candidates for long-term relationships. In each study, Mating Intelligence correlated with evolutionarily adaptive decisions for both sexes. While an internal validation found that improvement can be made on this metric, these studies comprise an early step in the empirical study of Mating Intelligence.