Relationship with mothers during childhood cross-culturally predicts female sexual strategies in different directions
Abstract
Consistent with life history theory, recent studies suggest that the relationship with fathers during childhood subsequently influences women's sexual strategies. For example, women whose father was absent during childhood, or who recall a poorer relationship with him, report higher tendencies for promiscuity and earlier maturation.
However, these results may be limited to euro-american populations, since for example in a Brazilian study, women with poorer life conditions during childhood started their sexual life and reproduction earlier, but it did not reveal any effect on the timing of their sexual maturity. The main aim of this study was to test the possible influence of retrospectively assessed relationship with parents during childhood on women's sociosexuality (i.e. tendencies for sexual variety) in adulthood.