Browsing by Author "Lewis, D. M. G."

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Open Access
Disgust and mating strategy
(Elsevier Inc., 2015-05) Al-Shawaf, L.; Lewis, D. M. G.; Buss, D. M.
An evolutionary task analysis predicts a connection between disgust and human mating, two important but currently disconnected areas of psychology. Because short-term mating strategies involve sex with multiple partners after brief temporal durations, such a strategy should be difficult to pursue in conjunction with high levels of sexual disgust. On this basis, we hypothesized that individuals with a stronger proclivity for short-term mating would exhibit dispositionally lower levels of sexual disgust. Two independent studies provided strong support for this hypothesis: among both men and women, an orientation toward short-term mating was associated with reduced levels of sexual disgust, but not with suppressed moral or pathogen disgust. Our discussion highlights an unexpected finding and suggests important questions for future research.
Open Access
Disgust sensitivity relates to attitudes toward gay men and lesbian women across 31 nations
(Sage Publications Ltd., 2021-11-26) Van Leeuwen, F.; Inbar, Y.; Petersen, M. B.; Aarøe, L.; Barclay, P.; Barlow, F. K.; de Barra, M.; Becker, D. V.; Borovoi, L.; Choi, J.; Consedine, N. S.; Conway, J. R.; Conway, P.; Adoric, V. C.; Demirci, Dilara Ekin; Fernández, A. M.; Ferreira, D. C. S.; Ishii, K.; Jakšić, I.; Ji, T.; Jonaityte, I.; Lewis, D. M. G.; Li, N. P.; McIntyre, J. C.; Mukherjee, S.; Park, J. H.; Pawlowski, B.; Pizarro, D.; Prokop, P.; Prodromitis, G.; Rantala, M. J.; Reynolds, L. M.; Sandin, B.; Sevi, Barış; Srinivasan, N.; Tewari, S.; Yong, J. C.; Žeželj, I.; Tybur, J. M.
Previous work has reported a relation between pathogen-avoidance motivations and prejudice toward various social groups, including gay men and lesbian women. It is currently unknown whether this association is present across cultures, or specific to North America. Analyses of survey data from adult heterosexuals (N = 11,200) from 31 countries showed a small relation between pathogen disgust sensitivity (an individual-difference measure of pathogen-avoidance motivations) and measures of antigay attitudes. Analyses also showed that pathogen disgust sensitivity relates not only to antipathy toward gay men and lesbians, but also to negativity toward other groups, in particular those associated with violations of traditional sexual norms (e.g., prostitutes). These results suggest that the association between pathogen-avoidance motivations and antigay attitudes is relatively stable across cultures and is a manifestation of a more general relation between pathogen-avoidance motivations and prejudice towards groups associated with sexual norm violations.
Open Access
Evolved individual differences: advancing a condition-dependent model of personality
(Elsevier, 2015-10) Lewis, D. M. G.
The field of personality psychology offers a wealth of robust empirical research and a successful descriptive taxonomy, but neither explains the origins of the structure of human personality nor elaborates a generative framework for predicting the specific conditions that evoke the development of distinct personality traits. Exploration of traditional personality constructs within an evolutionary adaptive individual differences framework may help fill this explanatory gap. Personality traits exhibit functional features and patterns of variation expected from psychological adaptations designed to solve survival- and reproduction-related challenges recurrently faced during our species’ evolutionary history. Conditiondependent evolutionary models of personality have been proposed for decades, but only recently have begun to see empirical investigation. These models posit that species-typical psychological mechanisms take as input cues from the individual’s phenotype that would have been ancestrally linked to differential cost–benefit tradeoffs of alternative personality strategies, and produce as output personality trait levels with the greatest probabilistic net benefit for the individual. This paper elaborates a more nuanced conceptual framework that builds on earlier conceptualizations of condition-dependent traits to yield new and untested hypotheses about personality trait variation and covariation. It then describes clear future research directions for empirically investigating these readily testable hypotheses.
Open Access
Feeding two birds with one scone? the relationship between teaching and research for graduate students across the disciplines
(International Society for Exploring Teaching and Learning (I S E T L), 2015) Gilmore, J.; Lewis, D. M. G.; Maher, M.; Feldon, D.; Timmerman, B. E.
We surveyed over 300 graduate students at a Southeastern research university to increase our understanding of their perceptions of (a) the connection between teaching and research, (b) the means by which integration occurs, and (c) the extent to which teaching and research contribute to a shared skill set that is of value in both contexts. We also examined differences across disciplines in the perception of this teaching-research nexus. Overall, findings indicate that graduate students perceive important relationships between teaching and research, and they point toward opportunities for administrators to promote teaching and research integration.
Open Access
A global experiment on motivating social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic
(National Academy of Sciences, 2022-05-27) Legate, N.; Nguyen, T.; Weinstein, N.; Moller, A.; Legault, L.; Vally, Z.; Tajchman, Z.; Zsido, A. N.; Zrimsek, M.; Chen, Z.; Ziano, I.; Gialitaki, Z.; Basnight-Brown, D. M.; Ceary, C. D.; Jang, Y.; Ijzerman, H.; Lin, Y.; Kunisato, Y.; Yamada, Y.; Xiao, Q.; Jiang, X.; Du, X.; Yao, E.; Ryan, W. S.; Wilson, J. P.; Cyrus-Lai, W.; Jimenez-Leal, W.; Law, W.; Unanue, W.; Collins, W. M.; Richard, K. L.; Vranka, M.; Ankushev, V.; Schei, V.; Lerche, V.; Kovic, V.; Krizanic, V.; Kadreva, V. H.; Adoric, V. C.; Tran, U. S.; Yeung, S. K.; Hassan, W.; Houston, R.; Urry, H. L.; Machin, M. A.; Lima, T. J. S.; Ostermann, T.; Frizzo, T.; Sverdrup, T. E.; House, T.; Gill, T.; Fedetov, M.; Paltrow, T.; Moshontz, H.; Jernsäther, T.; Rahman, T.; Machin, T.; Koptjevskaja-Tamm, M.; Hostler, T. J.; Ishii, T.; Szazsi, B.; Adamus, S.; Suter, L.; Von Bormann, S. M.; Habib, S.; Studzinska, A.; Stojanovska, D.; Jansenn, S. M. J.; Stieger, S.; Primbs, M. A.; Schulenberg, S. E.; Buchanan, E. M.; Tatachari, S.; Azouaghe, S.; Sorokowski, P.; Sorokowska, A.; Song, X.; Morbée, S.; Lewis, S.; Sinkolova, S.; Grigoryev, D.; Drexler, S. M.; Daches, S.; Levine, S. L.; Geniole, S. N.; Akter, S.; Vracar, S.; Massoni, S.; Costa, S.; Zorjan, S.; Sarioguz, E.; Izquierdo, S. M.; Tshonda, S. S.; Miller, J. K.; Alves, S. G.; Pöntinen, S.; Solas, S. A.; Ordoñez-Riaño, S.; Ocovaj, S. B.; Onie, S.; Lins, S.; Biberauer, T.; Çoksan, S.; Khumkom, S.; Sacakli, A.; Coles, N. A.; Ruiz-Fernández, S.; Geiger, S. J.; FatahModares, S.; Walczak, R. B.; Betlehem, R.; Vilar, R.; Cárcamo, R. A.; Ross, R. M.; McCarthy, R.; Ballantyne, T.; Westgate, E. C.; Ryan, R. M.; Gargurevich, R.; Afhami, R.; Ren, D.; Monteiro, R. P.; Reips, U.; Reggev, N.; Calin-Jageman, R. J.; Pourafshari, R.; Oliveira, R.; Nedelcheva-Datsova, M.; Rahal, R.; Ribeiro, R. R.; Radtke, T.; Searston, R.; Jai-Ai, R.; Habte, R.; Zdybek, P.; Chen, S; Wajanatinapart, P.; Maturan, P. L. G.; Perillo, J. T.; Isager, P. M.; Kacmár, P.; Macapagal, P. M.; Maniaci, M. R.; Szwed, P.; Hanel, P. H. P.; Forbes, P. A. G.; Arriaga, P.; Paris, B.; Parashar, N.; Papachristopoulos, K.; Chartier, C. R.; Correa, P. S.; Kácha, O.; Bernardo, M.; Campos, O.; Bravo, O. N.; Mallik, P. R.; Gallindo-Caballero, O. J.; Ogbonnaya, C. E.; Bialobrzeska, O.; Kiselnikova, N.; Simonovic, N.; Cohen, N.; Nock, N. L.; Hernandez, A.; Thogersen-Ntoumani, C.; Ntoumanis, N.; Johannes, N.; Albayrak-Aydemir, N.; Say, N.; Neubauer, A. B.; Martin, N. I.; Torunsky, N.; Van Antwerpen, N.; Van Doren, N.; Sunami, N.; Rachev, N. R.; Majeed, N. M.; Schmidt, N.; Nadif, K.; Forscher, P. S.; Corral-Frias, N. S.; Ouherrou, N.; Abbas, N.; Pantazi, M.; Lucas, M. Y.; Vasilev, M. R.; Ortiz, M. V.; Butt, M. M.; Kurfali, M.; Kabir, M.; Muda, R.; Del Carmen M. C. Tejada Rivera, M.; Sirota, M.; Seehuus, M.; Parzuchowski, M.; Toro, M.; Hricova, M.; Maldonado, M. A.; Arvanitis, A.; Rentzelas, P.; Vansteenkiste, M.; Metz, M. A.; Marszalek, M.; Karekla, M.; Mioni, G.; Bosma, M. J.; Westerlund, M.; Vdovic, M.; Bialek, M.; Silan, M. A.; Anne, M.; Misiak, M.; Gugliandolo, M. C.; Grinberg, M.; Capizzi, M.; Espinoza Barria, M. F.; Kurfali, Merve A.; Mensink, M. C.; Harutyunyan, M.; Khosla, M.; Dunn, M. R.; Korbmacher, M.; Adamkovic, M.; Ribeiro, M. F. F.; Terskova, M.; Hruška, M.; Martoncik, M.; Voracek, M.; Cadek, M.; Frias-Armenta, M.; Kowal, M.; Topor, M.; Roczniewska, M.; Oosterlinck, M.; Thomas, A. G.; Kohlová, M. B.; Paruzel-Czachura, M.; Sabristov, M.; Greenburgh, A.; Romanova, M.; Papadatou-Pastou, M.; Lund, M. L.; Antoniadi, M.; Magrin, M. E.; Jones, M. V.; Li, M.; Ortiz, M. S.; Manavalan, M.; Muminov, A.; Stoyanova, A.; Kossowska, M.; Friedemann, M.; Wielgus, M.; Van Hooff, M. L. M; Varella, M. A. C.; Standage, M.; Nicolotti, M.; Coloff, M. F.; Bradford, M.; Vaughn, L. A.; Eudave, L.; Vieira, L.; Lu, J. G.; Pineda, L. M. S.; Matos, L.; Pérez, L. C.; Lazarevic, L. B.; Jaremka, L. M.; Smit, E. S.; Kushnir, E.; Wichman, A. L.; Ferguson, L. J.; Anton-Boicuk, L.; De Holanda Coelho, G. L.; Ahlgren, L.; Liga, F.; Levitan, C. A.; Micheli, L.; Gunton, L.; Volz, L.; Stojanovska, M.; Boucher, L.; Samojlenko, L.; Delgado, L. G. J.; Kaliska, L.; Beatrix, L.; Warmelink, L.; Rojas-Berscia, L. M.; Yu, K.; Wylie, K.; Wachowicz, J.; Charyate, A. C.; Desai, K.; Barzykowski, K.; Kozma, L.; Evans, K.; Kirgizova, K.; Belaus, A.; Emmanuel Agesin, B. B.; Koehn, M. A.; Wolfe, K.; Korobova, T.; Morris, K.; Klevjer, K.; Van Schie, K.; Vezirian, K.; Damnjanovic, K.; Thommesen, K. K.; Schmidt, K.; Filip, K.; Staniaszek, K.; Adetula, A.; Grzech, K.; Hoyer, K.; Moon, K.; Khaobunmasiri, S.; Rana, K.; Janjic, K.; Suchow, J. W.; Kielinska, J.; Cruz Vásquez, J. E.; Chanal, J.; Beitner, J.; Vargas-Nieto, J. C.; Roxas, J. C. T.; Taber, J.; Urriago-Rayo, J.; Askelund, A. D.; Pavlacic, J. M.; Benka, J.; Bavolar, J.; Soto, J. A.; Olofsson, J. K.; Vilsmeier, J. K.; Messerschmidt, J.; Czamanski-Cohen, J.; Waterschoot, J.; Moss, J. D.; Boudesseul, J.; Lee, J. M.; Kamburidis, J.; Joy-Gaba, J. A.; Zickfeld, J.; Miranda, J. F.; Verharen, J. P. H.; Hristova, E.; Beshears, J. E.; Djordjevic, J. M.; Bosch, J.; Valentova, J. V.; Antfolk, J.; Berkessel, J. B.; Schrötter, J.; Urban, J.; Röer, J. P.; Norton, J. O.; Silva, J. R.; Pickerin, J. S.; Vintr, J.; Uttly, J.; Kunst, J. R.; Ndukaihe, I. L. G.; Iyer, A.; Vilares, I.; Ivanov, A.; Ropovik, I.; Sula, I.; Groyecka-Bernard, A.; Sarieva, I.; Metin-Orta, I.; Prusova, I.; Pinto, I.; Bozdoc, A. I.; Almeida, I. A. T.; Pit, I. L.; Dalgar, I.; Zakharov, I.; Arinze, A. I.; Ihaya, K.; Stephen, I. D.; Gjoneska, B.; Brohmer, H.; Flowe, H.; Godbersen, H.; Kocalar, H. E.; Hedgebeth, M. V.; Chuan-Peng, H.; Sharifian, M.; Manley, H.; Akkas, H.; Hajdu, N.; Azab, H.; Kaminski, G.; Nilsonne, G.; Anjum, G.; Travaglino, G. A.; Feldman, G.; Pfuhl, G.; Czarnek, G.; Marcu, G. M.; Hofer, G.; Banik, G.; Adetula, G. A.; Bijlstra, G.; Verbruggen, F.; Kung, F. Y. H.; Martela, F.; Foroni, F.; Forest, J.; Singer, G.; Muchembled, F.; Azevedo, F.; Mosannenzadeh, F.; Marinova, E.; Strukelj, E.; Etebari, Z.; Bradshaw, E. L.; Baskin, E.; Garcia, E. O. L.; Musser, E.; Van Steenkiste, I. M. M.; Ahn, E. R.; Quested, E.; Pronizius, E.; Jackson, E. A.; Manunta, E.; Agadullina, E.; Sakan, D.; Dursun, P.; Dujols, O.; Dubrov, D.; Willis, M.; Tümer, M.; Beaudry, J. L.; Popovic, D.; Dunleavy, D.; Djamal, I.; Krupic, D.; Herrera, D.; Vega, D.; Du, H.; Mola, D.; Chakarova, D.; Davis, W. E.; Holford, D. L.; Lewis, D. M. G.; Vaidis, D. C.; Ozery, D. H.; Ricaurte, D. Z.; Storage, D.; Sousa, D.; Alvarez, D. S.; Boller, D.; Rosa, A. D.; Dimova, D.; Krupic, D.; Marko, D.; Moreau, D.; Reeck, C.; Correia, R. C.; Whitt, C. M.; Lamm, C.; Solorzano, C. S.; Von Bastian, C. C.; Sutherland, C. A. M.; Ebersole, C. R.; Overkott, C.; Aberson, C. L.; Wang, C.; Niemiec, C. P.; Karashiali, C.; Noone, C.; Chiu, F.; Picchiocchi, C.; Brownlow, C.; Karaarslan, C.; Cellini, N.; Esteban-Serna, C.; Reyna, C.; Ferreyra, C.; Batres, C.; Li, R.; Grano, C.; Carpentier, J.; Tamnes, C. K.; Fu, C. H. Y.; Ishkhanyan, B.; Bylinina, L.; Jaeger, B.; Bundt, C.; Allred, T. B.; Vermote, B. J.; Bokkour, A.; Bogatyreva, N.; Shi, J.; Chopik, W. J.; Antazo, B.; Behzadnia, B.; Becker, M.; Bayyat, M. M.; Cocco, B.; Ahmed, A.; Chou, W.; Barkoukis, V.; Hubena, B.; Khaoudi, A.; Žuro, B.; Aczel, B.; Baklanova, E.; Bai, H.; Balci, B. B.; Babincák, P.; Soenens, B.; Dixson, B. J. W.; Mokady, A.; Kappes, H. B.; Atari, M.; Szala, A.; Szabelska, A.; Aruta, J. J. B.; Domurat, A.; Arinze, N. C.; Modena, A.; Adiguzel, A.; Monajem, A.; Ait El Arabi, K.; Özdogru, A. A.; Rothbaum, A. O.; Torres, A. O.; Theodoropoulou, A.; Skowronek, A.; Urooj, A.; Jurkovic, A. P.; Singh, A.; Kassianos, A. P.; Findor, A.; Hartanto, A.; Landry, A. T.; Ferreira, A.; Santos, A. C.; De La Rosa-Gomez, A.; Gourdon-Kanhukamwe, A.; Luxon, A. M.; Todsen, A. L.; Karababa, A.; Janak, A.; Pilato, A.; Bran, A.; Tullett, A. M.; Kuzminska, A. O.; Krafnik, A. J.; Massey, D.
Finding communication strategies that effectively motivate social distancing continues to be a global public health priority during the COVID-19 pandemic. This crosscountry, preregistered experiment (n = 25,718 from 89 countries) tested hypotheses concerning generalizable positive and negative outcomes of social distancing messages that promoted personal agency and reflective choices (i.e., an autonomy-supportive message) or were restrictive and shaming (i.e., a controlling message) compared with no message at all. Results partially supported experimental hypotheses in that the controlling message increased controlled motivation (a poorly internalized form of motivation relying on shame, guilt, and fear of social consequences) relative to no message. On the other hand, the autonomy-supportive message lowered feelings of defiance compared with the controlling message, but the controlling message did not differ from receiving no message at all. Unexpectedly, messages did not influence autonomous motivation (a highly internalized form of motivation relying on one's core values) or behavioral intentions. Results supported hypothesized associations between people's existing autonomous and controlled motivations and self-reported behavioral intentions to engage in social distancing. Controlled motivation was associated with more defiance and less long-term behavioral intention to engage in social distancing, whereas autonomous motivation was associated with less defiance and more short- and long-term intentions to social distance. Overall, this work highlights the potential harm of using shaming and pressuring language in public health communication, with implications for the current and future global health challenges.
Open Access
Integrating molecular genetics and evolutionary psychology: Sexual jealousy and the androgen receptor (AR) gene
(Elsevier, 2018) Lewis, D. M. G.; Al-Shawaf, L.; Janiak, M. C.; Akunebu, S. P.
Integrating evolutionary psychological and molecular genetic research may increase our knowledge of the psychological correlates of specific genes, as well as enhance evolutionary psychology's ability to explain individual differences. We tested the hypothesis that men's sexual jealousy mechanisms functionally calibrate their psychological output according to genetic variation at the androgen receptor locus. Mated men (N = 103) provided buccal cell samples for genotype fragment analysis and completed inventories assessing their sexually jealous cognitions and emotions. Results indicated that men with longer sequences of CAG codon repeats at the androgen receptor locus were more likely to perceive ambiguous social and environmental cues as indicative of their mates’ infidelity, and experienced greater emotional upset in response to these cues. These results contribute to a growing body of research linking polymorphism at the AR locus to individual differences in psychology, and, to our knowledge, provide the first evidence pointing toward the heritability of sexual jealousy. Our discussion centers on whether the heritability of psychological differences implies direct genetic influences on the neurobiological substrate, or reflects functionally calibrated output from sex-typical and species-typical mechanisms. We conclude by describing how future research can more clearly differentiate between these alternative genetic models.
Open Access
Lumbar curvature: a previously undiscovered standard of attractiveness
(Elsevier, 2015) Lewis, D. M. G.; Russell, E. M.; Al-Shawaf, L.; Buss, D. M.
This paper reports independent studies supporting the proposal that human standards of attractiveness reflect the output of psychological adaptations to detect fitness-relevant traits. We tested novel a priori hypotheses based on an adaptive problem uniquely faced by ancestral hominin females: a forward-shifted center of mass during pregnancy. The hominin female spine possesses evolved morphology to deal with this adaptive challenge: wedging in the third-to-last lumbar vertebra. Among ancestral women, vertebral wedging would have minimized the net fitness threats posed by hypolordosis and hyperlordosis, thereby creating selective pressures on men to prefer such women as mates. On this basis, we hypothesized that men possess evolved mate preferences for women with this theoretically optimal angle of lumbar curvature. In Study 1, as hypothesized, men's attraction toward women increased as women's lumbar curvature approached this angle. However, vertebral wedging and buttock mass can both influence lumbar curvature. Study 2 thus employed a forced-choice paradigm in which men selected the most attractive woman among models exhibiting the same lumbar curvature, but for different morphological reasons. Men again tended to prefer women exhibiting cues to a degree of vertebral wedging closer to optimum. This included preferring women whose lumbar curvature specifically reflected vertebral wedging rather than buttock mass. These findings reveal novel, theoretically anchored, and previously undiscovered standards of attractiveness.
Open Access
Mating strategy, disgust, and food neophobia
(Elsevier, 2015) Al-Shawaf, L.; Lewis, D. M. G.; Alley, T. R.; Buss, D. M.
Food neophobia and disgust are commonly thought to be linked, but this hypothesis is typically implicitly assumed rather than directly tested. Evidence for the connection has been based on conceptually and empirically unsound measures of disgust, unpublished research, and indirect findings. This study (N = 283) provides the first direct evidence of a relationship between trait-level food neophobia and trait-level pathogen disgust. Unexpectedly, we also found that food neophobia varies as a function of sexual disgust and is linked to mating strategy. Using an evolutionary framework, we propose a novel hypothesis that may account for these previously undiscovered findings: the food neophilia as mating display hypothesis. Our discussion centers on future research directions for discriminatively testing this novel hypothesis.
Open Access
The openness-calibration hypothesis
(Elsevier Ltd, 2015) Lewis, D. M. G.; Al-Shawaf, L.; Yilmaz, C.
The current study tested the hypotheses that (1) psychological adaptations calibrate Openness to Experience to facilitate or deter pursuit of short-term mating, and (2) this calibration varies as a function of mating strategy, physical attractiveness, and sex—individual differences that shift the costs and benefits of alternative personality strategies. Participants completed a personality inventory before and after reading vignettes describing mating opportunities of different durations (short- and long-term) with individuals of differing levels of attractiveness. Among study findings, participants presented with short-term mating opportunities with individuals of average attractiveness exhibited down-regulated Openness relative to those presented with highly attractive mates. Moreover, these effects varied as a function of the interaction between participants’ sex, mating strategy, and attractiveness. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that evolved psychological mechanisms adaptively calibrate Openness levels in response to short-term mating opportunities. More broadly, they highlight the heuristic value of an evolutionary framework for the study of personality and individual differences.
Open Access
The things they carry: characterizing the biggest problems in the lives of emerging adults
(Guilford Publications, 2016) North, R. J.; Lewis, D. M. G.; Capecelatro, M. R.; Sherrill, B. N.; Ravyts, S. G.; Fontan, G.
Drawing on the writings of 315 undergraduate participants who wrote for four consecutive days, 20 minutes each day, about the biggest problem in their lives (North, Pai, hixon, & holahan, 2011), the present study analyzes the text of the writings to characterize the biggest problems in the lives of emerging adults. Specifically, we used two analytic strategies-content coding by raters and linguistic analysis- to address four questions: (1) what were the biggest problems in participants' lives?; (2) were there gender differences in the types of problems that men and women reported?; (3) what was the relative level of emotional distress between individuals with different types of problems?; and (4) were there gender differences in the level of emotional distress associated with the biggest problem in individuals' lives? Findings confirm some existing ideas about major problems facing emerging adults and spotlight new ideas. Findings also challenge longstanding assumptions about gender differences.
Open Access
Why (and when) straight women trust gay men: ulterior mating motives and female competition
(Springer New York LLC, 2017) Russell, E. M.; Ta, V. P.; Lewis, D. M. G.; Babcock, M. J.; Ickes, W.
Previous findings indicate that heterosexual women experience a greater sense of comfort and trust in their friendships with gay men than in their friendships with heterosexual individuals. In the present studies, we tested a hypothesis that not only explains why women exhibit increased trust in gay men but also yields novel predictions about when (i.e., in what contexts) this phenomenon is likely to occur. Specifically, we propose that gay men’s lack of motives to mate with women or to compete with them for mates enhances women’s trust in gay men and openness to befriend them. Study 1 demonstrated that women placed greater trust in a gay man’s mating—but not non-mating (e.g., career) advice—than in the same advice given by heterosexual individuals. Study 2 showed that women perceived a gay man to be more sincere in scenarios relevant to sexual and competitive mating deception. In Study 3, exposing women to a visualization of increased mating competition enhanced their trust in gay men; when mating competition was salient, women’s trust in mating information from a gay man was amplified. Study 4 showed that women who perceived higher levels of mating competition were more open to befriending gay men. Together, these converging findings support our central hypothesis, which not only provides a distal explanation for the trust that straight women place in gay men, but also provides novel insights into previously unidentified contexts that facilitate the formation and strengthening of this unique bond.