The effect of a subliminally primed context on intrasexual competition depends on individual differences in sex drive

We argue that sex drive can be regarded as a fundamental correlate of individual differences in mating strategies, and that it modulates men's tendencies to engage in intrasexual competition. We expected that men with a high sex drive would be more threatened by a rival in a sexual context than in a commitment context, whereas men with a low sex drive would be more threatened by a rival in a commitment context. Male participants were subliminally primed with either sex-related or commitment-related words, and then confronted with a romantic rival. The results confirm expectations and are discussed in light of other research. (C) 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.