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June 3, 2026Behavioral and Brain Sciences0 citations

The support-deficit perspective is now the parsimonious explanation for gender differences in human mating

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PEPaul W. EastwickUniversity of California System

Key Points

  • The study aims to explore how men's support deficits account for gender differences in human mating behavior.
  • Analysis of existing findings related to parental investment and gender differences in mating.
  • Examination of emotional fulfillment as a key factor in men's mating strategies.
  • The support-deficit perspective aligns with diverse findings in evolutionary psychology.
  • Men engage in mating behaviors primarily to fulfill emotional needs, contradicting traditional views on mating costs.

Abstract

Men's support deficits explain gender differences classically associated with parental investment theory. That is, men may have sex on their minds not because the costs are low, but because sex is a primary route for constructing something profound that they lack: an emotionally fulfilling relationship. The breadth of findings consistent with the support-deficit explanation has made it the parsimonious one.

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Cite This Study

Paul W. Eastwick (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a1fc56bdee9eb8c0dce6cf4https://doi.org/10.1017/s0140525x25102525
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