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Major Movements in Psychology

Sociobiology and Evolutionary Psychology

Are men inherently polygamous?

Across history, human males have exhibited all of the above reproductive strategies. They are monogamous, promiscuous, or polygynous. Some even have harems. Whichever strategy is selected is dependent on numerous environmental contingencies, such as population density, scarcity of resources, culture, religion, social status, etc. While human females are not immune to the temptations of multiple partners, polygamous societies with polygynous marital patterns (men with multiple wives) are far more common than those with polyandrous marital patterns (women with multiple husbands).



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