In new research published in the journal Human Nature, researchers found that heterosexual men in romantic relationships who sought services from sex workers preferred a “variety experience” rather than a “relationship experience.”
The study sought to examine male use of a dual mating strategy, a theory in evolutionary psychology that suggests humans often employ two different mating strategies to maximize their reproductive success.
According to this theory, men seek short-term sexual encounters to maximize their chances of spreading their genes widely. This strategy is driven by the desire for sexual variety and multiple partners. In this context, men are more likely to prioritize physical attractiveness and fertility cues in potential mates. The focus is on short-term sexual gratification rather than long-term commitment or investment.
On the other hand, men also seek long-term relationships for the purpose of ensuring the survival and successful rearing of their offspring. In committed relationships, men look for qualities such as loyalty, emotional bonding, and nurturing abilities in potential mates. They invest more time and resources to provide for their partner and offspring, aiming to ensure their genetic lineage continues.
Researchers Jade Butterworth, Samuel Pearson, and William von Hippel were interested in investigating whether men in committed romantic relationships preferred experiences reflecting short-term mating with sex workers or pair-bonding — an experience that mimic a long-term relationship.
The researchers predicted that signs of pair-bonding would be more prevalent among clients who were not in committed relationships, while evidence of variety-seeking would be more prevalent among clients already in committed relationships.
The study included seven independent, high-end female sex workers. These sex workers were acquainted with the researchers. The participants were invited via text message to take part in the study. To maintain anonymity, the sex workers’ demographics were not extensively reported, but they were described as Caucasian women aged 20 to 35.
Butterworth and colleagues recruited six sex workers to disclose information about 516 clients. The sex workers were asked about their interactions with clients, whether their clients were in a committed romantic relationship, how attractive they found their clients, and answered questions about clients’ social skills and sexual involvement.
Results showed that men who were in a committed romantic relationship preferred the “porn-star experience” more often, which consisted of mainly sexual encounters. Men who preferred the “girlfriend experience,” which resembles pair-bonding, tended to portray that they cared about the sex workers more and did not prefer to have kinky interactions.
Butterworth and colleagues also found that single men who preferred the “girlfriend experience” tended to repeatedly book the same sex worker and engage in banter and provide tips and gifts.
“Through investigation of men’s mating preferences and strategies when largely unconstrained by women’s preferences, we found that men sought both pair-bonding and sexual variety,” the researchers concluded. “We also found that their preference for one was at least partially influenced by fulfilment of the other—husbands were more likely than single men to choose the sexual experience that reflects variety (the porn star experience) over relationships (the girlfriend experience). These findings are consistent with the presence of dual-mating strategies in men and highlight the fact that men seek both sexual variety and pair-bonding.”
The study was titled: “Dual Mating Strategies Observed in Male Clients of Female Sex Workers.”
