Umm, why do we think the psychological effect of the abnormal situation is rooted in EVOLUTIONARY psychology? It could be quite simply that the women get a sort of high/thrill/adrenaline rush from being in the unusual situation of more physical and psychological activity (the anticipation as you approach someone), whereas sitting in the same chair for a long time as person after person comes by is going to dampen anyone’s spirits and make them a bit more grouchy when it comes to evaluating others.
To me your evolutionary explanation seems like it might be a bit too specific. Is there any reason to think natural selection has resulted in a distinct “hardwired” pattern of reactions for this situation? Or even that women are less likely, culture aside, to proposition a man when they’re attracted to him than men are to proposition women? Especially since the female has more incentive to be choosy, it seems like she would benefit from making sure she “catches” one of the relatively few men who meet her standards, whereas since more women would meet his standards, if you’re assuming anything but unlimited polygyny, I could definitely explain why natural selection would result in an advantage for “forward” women.
That’s a good point and evidence that I wasn’t considering. I think you’re right that some of my explanation gets the details wrong given what you’ve reminded me of here.
Umm, why do we think the psychological effect of the abnormal situation is rooted in EVOLUTIONARY psychology? It could be quite simply that the women get a sort of high/thrill/adrenaline rush from being in the unusual situation of more physical and psychological activity (the anticipation as you approach someone), whereas sitting in the same chair for a long time as person after person comes by is going to dampen anyone’s spirits and make them a bit more grouchy when it comes to evaluating others.
To me your evolutionary explanation seems like it might be a bit too specific. Is there any reason to think natural selection has resulted in a distinct “hardwired” pattern of reactions for this situation? Or even that women are less likely, culture aside, to proposition a man when they’re attracted to him than men are to proposition women? Especially since the female has more incentive to be choosy, it seems like she would benefit from making sure she “catches” one of the relatively few men who meet her standards, whereas since more women would meet his standards, if you’re assuming anything but unlimited polygyny, I could definitely explain why natural selection would result in an advantage for “forward” women.
That’s a good point and evidence that I wasn’t considering. I think you’re right that some of my explanation gets the details wrong given what you’ve reminded me of here.