The Brutal Tactics of Female Sexual Competition - Dr Dani Sulikowski

Research Focus00:00

Dr. Dani Sulikowski's research focuses on the evolutionary psychology of human behavior, narrowed to female intrasexual competition—how women compete with each other for the largest share of the population's reproductive success.

Purpose of Female Intrasexual Competition00:31

The currency of evolution is reproductive success. Genes promoting it increase in frequency, along with their mechanisms and behaviors. Female intrasexual competition maximizes an individual's relative reproductive success, not absolute. You win by reproducing at a greater rate than the population average, increasing your lineage's representation over generations. This can be achieved by increasing your own reproductive success or inhibiting rivals'. Net reproductive success matters: accelerate your own (foot on the gas) or brake rivals' (foot on their brake).

Consciousness of Intrasexual Competition02:00

Consciousness varies by person and may not matter much. Consciousness provides post-hoc justification for evolved behaviors. People generally don't know why they do things—experiments show they confabulate reasons when manipulated unknowingly. Women (and men) don't need to understand that their behaviors inhibit rivals' reproductive success; they just need to be compelled to act. Women are overtly aware of nastiness in their behavior, as most have been bullied by other women. Through a feminist lens, some ideologies (e.g., viewing motherhood as oppression, marriage as subjugation) inhibit others' reproduction while seen as liberating.