Is the link between endorsement and engagement in sexual coercion associated with life history strategy?

Citation

McCollam R, Mullaney A & Lee AJ (2021) Is the link between endorsement and engagement in sexual coercion associated with life history strategy?. Personality and Individual Differences, 180, Art. No.: 110999. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2021.110999

Abstract
We assess whether traits associated with life history strategy moderate the association between endorsement and engagement of sexual coercion. In a sample of 155 men, we measured engagement in subtle sexually coercive behaviours using a novel measure, where participants reported their likely response when faced with several sexual/dating scenarios (e.g., a situation where the participant is sexually rejected). We also measured participants on mating effort, aggression, socioeconomic status (SES), the dark triad traits (psychopathy, narcissism, and Machiavellianism), and endorsement of sexual coercion through acceptance of rape myths. We found that men high in mating effort, SES, and Machiavellianism were more likely to engage in sexually coercion. As expected, greater endorsement was associated with greater engagement in sexual coercion, and this was significantly moderated by narcissism and Machiavellianism, but in opposite directions, with higher levels of Machiavellianism and lower levels of narcissism associated with a greater association between endorsement and engagement. Overall, there was no consistent pattern between traits associated with an accelerated life history strategy and sexually coercive behaviour.

Keywords
sexual aggression; dark triad traits; psychopathy; narcissism; Machiavellianism; aggression; mating effort

Journal
Personality and Individual Differences: Volume 180

People

Dr Anthony Lee

Lecturer in Psychology, Psychology