Brad R. Huber’s Summary of

Rosemary Hopcroft’s (2006). Sex, status, and reproductive success in the

contemporary United States. Evolution and Human Behavior, 27(2), 104-120.

Status/Rank and Reproductive Success

• In most animal populations, status or social rank is positively related to reproductive success.

• The same relationship also holds for preindustrial human populations, especially for males.

Sociobiology’s Central Theoretical Problem

• This relationship does NOT appear to hold in modern human populations.

• Previous studies suggest:–high-status individuals have fewer offspring –than do low-status individuals.

• Did the demographic transition and the availability of effective contraception sever the link between status and reproductive success?

However, demographic studies of fertility use data that only –report female fertility or –the number of children in a household.

Other studies use social survey data –that do not distinguish between

respondents’ adopted, step, and biological children.

These studies do not fully measure male fertility

Even in a society where – monogamy is legally mandated and – there is strong female control over

fertility decisions

High status males can achieve higher RS through a series of marriages or families.

Researchers have shown:–A general female preference for equal or

higher-status males as mates, –a general male preference for younger

mates.Over time this leads to –a shrinking pool of possible mates for

high-status females, and –an expanding pool of possible mates for

high status males.

Methods

• She tests four hypotheses using the General Social Surveys (GSS)

• Potential fertility is measured by reported frequency of sex in last 12 months

• Achieved fertility is measured as the respondent’s number of biological children

• Status is measured by respondent’s –education, – socioeconomic index (SEI), – current income, and – intelligence (number of words correct).

You make the Prediction!

Warning: The Following Animations May Impress Those Over 50 Years Old. Please Use Caution

Males with less than a graduate degree have sex (more frequently/less frequently) than females with less than a graduate degree.

more frequently

Education has a (slight negative effect/slight positive effect) on frequency of sex for both men and women.

slight negative effect

Occupational status (SEI) and prestige (affect/do not affect) frequency of sex for men and women.

do not affect

Higher income (increases/decreases/does not affect) men’s reported sex frequency.

increases

Higher income (increases/decreases/does not affect) women’s reported sex frequency.

does not affect

Both men and women with a graduate degree have (fewer children/more children) than do those with less than a high school diploma.

fewer children

Women with higher occupational status and prestige tend to have (fewer children/more children) than do women with lower occupational status and prestige.

fewer children

High income men have (more children/fewer children) than do high income women and low-income men.

more children

The “central theoretical problem of sociobiology” may not be such a problem after all.