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Image / Editorial

Men Not Hardwired to Sleep Around


By IMAGE
13th Feb 2015
Men Not Hardwired to Sleep Around

man peering out car window

If you were asked which gender was more likely to sleep around, you’d instantly think men, right? Or if you know of a few men, ‘players’ as you might call them, who can’t quite commit to just one woman, you probably put it down to their evolutionary biology. Turns out, however, that men are in fact NOT hardwired to sew their wild oats from here to Timbuktu.

It’s also long been assumed that if one man were to really get around, he’d pass those genes along to his son later in life. When that son would wind up cheating on his girlfriend, he’d blame his father and, well, we’d probably blame him too.

According to a new anthropological study conducted at the University of Utah, researchers brought forward evidence that a man’s promiscuous behaviour is not something that’s hardwired into their DNA. Whether men are more inclined to enjoy long-lasting commitment or no-strings-attached flings, all depends on their personal life circumstances.

It’s what men have access to that will strongly influence their promiscuity. If men are surrounded by few women, they’ll be more into long-term commitments. If, however, a guy’s presented with a myriad of dating options, he’ll more likely want to play the field. The same goes for women, as this study suggests.

So, not so fast with the cheating excuses now, boys.

@CarolineForan