ABSTRACT
The literature on human mating strategies emphasizes gender differences in the pursuit of short-term sexual strategies. In particular, women are believed to be most concerned with pursuing long-term sexual partners, because of the greater parental investment that women make in their offspring (Buss & Schmitt, 1993; Laumann et al., 1994; Oliver & Hyde, 1993). We accept the premise of Parental Investment Theory (Travis & Yeagers, 1991; Trivers, 1972), but take issue with the empirical studies that are used to support Buss and Schmitt’s (1993) Sexual Strategies Theory (SST), and with the extent of the purported difference between the genders.
