Disco clothing, female sexual motivation, and relationship status: is she dressed to impress?

Journal of Sex Research, Feb, 2004 by Karl Grammer, LeeAnn Renninger, Bettina Fischer

As an exploratory measure, we also analyzed the relationship between the use of oral contraceptives and reported sexual motivation and physique display. Previous studies have shown that taking oral contraceptives affects women's preferences for male pheromones (Grimmer, 1993) and male facial features (Johnston et al., 2001). In the current study, this measure was exploratory.

Interactions Between Relationship Status, Hormone Levels, and Sexual Signaling

Bellis and Baker (1990) found that EPCs occur most frequently during the time of ovulation, when females are most fertile. Following this finding, we hypothesized that non-pill-taking females who are involved in a partnership but are at the disco unaccompanied by the partner will more often have higher estradiol levels than the other groups. In addition, sexual signaling through skin display and clothing tightness should be highest in this group. Predictions for single, non-pill-taking females are less clear. In this group, we do not necessarily expect a correlation between estradiol and physique display. While single females may have an interest in attracting a partner, high signaling may be a disadvantage as it may attract the wrong type of partners (men who are only interested in short-term relationships), thereby limiting the women's ability to choose. In addition, in single, non-pill-taking women, there is an increase of risk by possible conception at ovulation because there is no primary partner with whom investment is secured.

Risk is an important topic when it comes to signaling. For females who are in a partnership, ovulatory shifts toward extra-pair copulations could be triggered by a general change in females' tendency to be involved in more risky behavior. According to Gangestad et al. (2002), men appear to respond to peak conception risk in a primary partner by increasing mate guarding and the psychologically mediated response of jealousy. If they pursue an EPC strategy, females run a high risk of losing their primary partners' investment in offspring, as males are aversive to such strategies (Gangestad et al., 2002), and research has shown that males are less likely to invest in children when paternity is uncertain (Anderson, Kaplan, & Lancaster, 1999). Thus, a general tendency toward extra-pair copulation should be accompanied by an increase in risk taking and sensation seeking, potentially tied to testosterone peaks. Following this logic, we expect that testosterone will positively correlate with physique display and sexual motivation, especially in females who are at a disco without the accompaniment of their primary partner.

METHOD

Participants and Procedure

Data collection sessions occurred at five different discotheques in Vienna, Austria. The discotheque setting was chosen because it is a location where males and females are likely to come into contact with one another in a mate-choice context. At all locations, data were collected between 9:00 p.m. and 3:00 a.m., each on evenings with similar weather conditions.