Men and women have different regrets after sex, study suggests

[The Straight Story]

Men and women have different regrets after sex, study suggests

AUSTIN — Men most often regret not having sex with more people while women frequently regret having sex with the wrong partner, according to a recently released study.

The study from researchers at the University of Texas and University of California, Los Angeles aimed to show that the feeling of regret is part of the evolutionary process when it comes to reproduction, the University of Texas said on Monday.

"For men throughout evolutionary history, every missed opportunity to have sex with a new partner is potentially a missed reproduce opportunity — a costly loss from an evolutionary perspective," said Martie Haselton, a UCLA social psychology professor who worked on the study.

The three main regrets for men: being too timid to approach a possible partner, not being more sexually adventurous when young and not being more sexually adventurous in their single days.

The main regrets for women include losing their virginity to the wrong partner, cheating on a present or past partner and moving too fast sexually.

http://www.nbcnews.com/health/men-women-have-different-regrets-after-sex-study-suggests-2D11650354

[HereSince1628]

1. "For men throughout evolutionary history" that's a classic beginning to what Stephan J Gould

called the "Just So Stories" of evolutionary psychology.

Not saying that evolution didn't play a role in mental function...just that is -the- classic 'fitness' opening to what are often highly speculative narratives.

It's basically the primary semiotic identifying an entire genre of writing. In it's essence it can usually be boiled down to ... "Once upon a very long period of time, in order to maximize fitness...____________"

[The Straight Story]

2. Hmmm, it does make me ponder though

I know guys who have been with a slew of women and see themselves as successful in that arena, yet they have no kids. Me, I have 5 kids with 3 different ladies and 4 grand kids, hence my evolutionary uptick is roughly 9, making me the more successful one using the evolution scale.

The daleks will have a hard time exterminating me

[HereSince1628]

4. Sure, and to find a grand explanation...you now have a just so story

[treestar]

8. That Darwin type issue is one that doesn't really hold up

I remember older men telling me how if they are rich and powerful, they get the beautiful women, because that is the best reproducing. But it doesn't work in that the girl children might be ugly like Dad and the boy children pretty like Mom, or the girls good at business and the boys just pretty. But the main reason it doesn't work is take someone like George Washington - he has no descendants. Yet there is certainly some dirt poor Irish farmer with tens of thousands. So that Irish farmer actually won as the better breeder.

[R B Garr]

3. Yes, men must regret the lost opportunities for more child support payments

by not having more partners for their "evolutionary process."

[Scuba]

5. A woman wants one man to meet her every need ....

... and a man wants every woman to meet his one need.

[geek tragedy]

6. Scientists examine human behavior, psychology, pretend culture doesn't exist.

Doesn't sound very scientific to me.

[seabeyond]

9. thank you. nt

[stevenleser]

7. There is a lot of criticism of Evolutionary Psychology. I've seen pro and con arguments

Here is some discussion including a defense: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evolutionary_psychology#Reception

I'm not sure what to think of it really. On the one hand, I welcome an attempt to show a part of the why of why we behave how we behave, but if it is not verifiable/testable, etc., I question the value of such assertions.