Groundbreaking research reveals how perceived disease threats can increase women's desire for novel sexual partners
When we think about what shapes romantic attraction, we typically consider factors like physical appearance, personality, or shared interests. But what if an invisible force—the perceived threat of disease—could fundamentally alter who we find attractive and how we approach relationships?
Groundbreaking research in evolutionary psychology has uncovered a surprising connection: when women perceive increased disease threats in their environment, it can trigger a heightened desire for new sexual and dating partners.
This discovery challenges long-held assumptions about gender and mating strategies, suggesting that under certain conditions, sexual variety-seeking becomes a strategic response to environmental challenges 1 .
Different reproductive challenges lead to different approaches to dating and relationships
Psychological adaptations that help avoid disease through behavioral changes
Women's higher biological investment in reproduction shapes mating psychology
The landmark 2015 study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology set out to test a novel hypothesis: that perceived pathogen load (the prevalence of infectious diseases in an environment) might influence women's desire for sexual variety 1 .
Women with a history of vulnerability to illness would respond to disease threats by seeking more novel sexual partners to increase genetic diversity in offspring
The research team, led by Sarah E. Hill, hypothesized that this strategy could provide a buffer against changing environmental conditions. By mating with multiple partners, women might increase the genetic diversity of their children, potentially enhancing the chances that at least some offspring would inherit disease-resistant traits 1 .
The research team conducted five separate experiments to thoroughly test their hypothesis about disease threats and women's mating preferences. The experiments employed carefully controlled methods to ensure the results were reliable and meaningful 1 .
Participants were exposed to cues about increasing disease rates through news articles, images, or questionnaires 1 .
Researchers measured desire for novel partners using standardized scales and custom questionnaires 1 .
Participants completed detailed questionnaires about past illness experiences and current health concerns 1 .
Non-disease threats and neutral conditions were used to isolate the specific effect of disease concerns 1 .
| Experiment | Disease Prime Method | Key Measures | Control Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Study 1 | News articles about increasing disease rates | Desire for novel dating partners | Non-disease threat primes |
| Study 2 | Health concern questionnaires | Attraction to new partners | Neutral primes |
| Study 3 | Visual disease-related images | Interest in variety-seeking | Positive emotion primes |
| Study 4 | Combined articles and images | Sexual vs. non-sexual variety | General threat primes |
| Study 5 | Subtle illness cues | Long-term vs. short-term mating preferences | Non-health-related anxiety primes |
The results across the five experiments revealed a consistent and intriguing pattern. Women who reported a history of vulnerability to illness and who were exposed to disease threat primes showed a significantly increased desire for novel sexual partners compared to women in control conditions 1 .
| Participant Group | Disease Threat Condition | Control Condition | Statistical Significance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Women with high vulnerability history | Increased desire | Baseline desire | p < .01 |
| Women with low vulnerability history | No significant change | Baseline desire | Not significant |
| Men (all health histories) | No significant change | Baseline desire | Not significant |
Sexual variety-seeking in women may represent an adaptive response to environmental disease threats. By increasing genetic diversity in their offspring, women might enhance the chances that at least some children will inherit combinations of genes that provide resistance to prevalent diseases 1 .
This strategy aligns with what biologists call bet-hedging—spreading risk in unpredictable environments. When disease threats are high, having children with diverse genetic makeup increases the odds that at least some offspring will survive and reproduce, even if others succumb to illness 1 .
These findings expand our understanding of the behavioral immune system. Previous research had shown that disease threats can trigger prejudices against outsiders or increased disgust responses toward signs of illness 6 .
This study reveals that the behavioral immune system might also influence our most intimate decisions—about who we date and how we approach relationships. It suggests that our mating psychology is deeply integrated with our disease-avoidance psychology in ways we're rarely conscious of 1 6 .
Researchers in mating psychology use a variety of methods to study how environmental factors influence romantic and sexual preferences. Here are the essential approaches used in this line of research:
| Research Method | Primary Function | Application in This Study |
|---|---|---|
| Disease threat priming | Activate disease-related concerns | Used news articles, images, and questionnaires to subtly increase participants' awareness of disease threats |
| Health history assessment | Measure individual vulnerability | Administered detailed questionnaires about participants' past illness experiences and current health concerns |
| Mating preference measures | Quantify attraction and dating interests | Used standardized scales and custom questionnaires to assess desire for novel partners and variety-seeking |
| Gender comparison design | Test for sex-specific effects | Included both male and female participants to determine if effects were unique to women |
| Domain-specific controls | Isolate mating-specific effects | Measured variety-seeking in non-sexual domains to ensure effects were specific to mating psychology |
While this research examines evolved psychological adaptations, its implications extend to modern relationships and health. We know that relationship quality significantly impacts both mental and physical health—people in satisfying relationships tend to be healthier and live longer 7 .
The subtle influence of disease threats on mating desires could potentially affect relationship satisfaction if one partner experiences shifting desires based on environmental cues. Understanding these unconscious influences might help couples navigate changing desires or attractions in their relationships 7 .
For public health officials and behavioral scientists, these findings highlight the importance of considering how disease threats—including pandemics like COVID-19—might influence not just health behaviors but social and romantic behaviors as well 3 6 .
During times of heightened disease concern, we might expect shifts in dating patterns, relationship formations, and even birth rates as these evolved psychological mechanisms unconsciously influence our choices. Understanding these connections could help policymakers anticipate and respond to broader societal changes during public health crises 3 6 .
The discovery that perceived disease threats can increase women's desire for sexual variety challenges simplistic notions about gender and mating. It reveals the sophisticated, context-dependent nature of human mating strategies and highlights how our evolved psychology continues to shape our desires and decisions in the modern world 1 .
This research reminds us that our romantic attractions and dating preferences are influenced by factors far beyond conscious choice or cultural conditioning. Deep evolutionary history, written into our psychological adaptations, continues to guide our behavior in ways that would have enhanced our ancestors' survival and reproduction 1 .
The next time you find yourself unexpectedly drawn to someone new or contemplating a change in your dating life, consider the invisible forces that might be at work. Your behavioral immune system might be whispering evolutionary wisdom, suggesting that when disease threats loom, variety really might be the best medicine 1 6 .