PSY 544 Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: Androphilia And Gynephilia, Inclusive Fitness, Third Gender
• Male androphilia
• There are Two theoretically possible ways, consistent with evolutionary theory, which
might work and involve inclusive fitness (genetic relatedness with diff member of your
family)
• Imagine (for the sake of simplicity) genes that predispose a man to exclusive male
androphilia (only sexually attracted to men). This would impose a reproductive cost.
o There are: Children that would otherwise pass on these genes with 50%
probability are now not born.
• However, if the genes that predisposed you to be sexually attracted to males as a
man also predispose you to help in the survival and reproduction of your siblings,
then the increase in inclusive fitness may compensate. In other words Each niece or
nephew who would otherwise not be born because they are genetically related to
the androphillic man has a 25% probability of carrying these genes.
• However, if the genes also predisposed the man to help in the survival and
reproduction of siblings, the increase in inclusive fitness may compensate.
o Each niece or nephew who would otherwise not be born has a 25% probability
of carrying these genes.
• Male androphilia
Kin altruism hypothesis
• So, if genes that predisposed a man to exclusive male androphilia also predisposed
him to aid his siblings in surviving and reproducing, then those genes they might
survive in the population. Even though those genes aren't being directly passed on to
these other children but these genes are surviving because they are also present in
nieces and nephews increasing the chances that they survive and reproduce
• However, in order for that to happen, the genes would have to predispose such high
levels of kin altruism, that for each child of his own (who would share 50% of his
gees the a does’t hae, his help is resposile for to additioal iees or
nephews (since they share only 25% of his genes). Because they are half as related to
him as his children would have been - so to compensate for the fact that he's not
having children, he has to do something that encourages his sibling to have 2 extra
children for every child that he doesn't have
Kin altruism hypothesis
• Evidence against this hypothesis is that surveys in the UK, US, Canada, and Japan
show no difference between androphilic men (men who are sexually attracted to
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men) and non-androphilic men on measures of willingness to help kin. Willing to
Help siblings have kids
• The only evidence possibly in support of the hypothesis so far comes from Samoa
(e.g., Vasey & VanderLaan, 2010).
Kin altruism hypothesis
• In Samoa, fa’afafie (eas i the aer of woa) identify as a third gender.
Third gender - they are androphilic males who have sexual relations with gynephilic
men (non fa'afafine)
• Tpiall, fa’afafie are adrophili ales ith seual relatioships ith o-
fa’afafie e.
• Vase & VaderLaa, iterieed 94 fa’afafie as ell as opariso saples
of gynephilic men.
Kin altruism hypothesis
Why is comparison with this group important?
Study in 2010 - 94 faafafine as well as comparison samples of men who were sexually
attracted to women and they tested them on whats known as their avuncular tendencies -
avuncular means related to being an uncle - they asked them questions like how much
money do you spend on your nephews and nieces, how often do you baby sit them, buy
them toys - all these questions about how willing are you to invest in them
Fa'afafine had higher levels of avuncular tendencies than either the gynephillic men with
children or with no children. This comparison is imp because it could be that fa'afafine
invest more in their nieces and nephews because they don't have their own children so
they also sampled men who were sexually attracted to women but didn't have their own
children and looked at their avuncular tendencies
The things they found were:
That Fa'afafine were more willing to baby sit, buy toys, contribute money to for their
medical expenses/education
But there is no measure of how much actual help they gave, this was just a willingness and
there was no report on the family members of fa'afafine actually had more children
because for this theory to work it needs to be that family members have more kids
Kin altruism theory
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Document Summary
Male androphilia, there are two theoretically possible ways, consistent with evolutionary theory, which might work and involve inclusive fitness (genetic relatedness with diff member of your family) Imagine (for the sake of simplicity) genes that predispose a man to exclusive male androphilia (only sexually attracted to men). Kin altruism hypothesis: so, if genes that predisposed a man to exclusive male androphilia also predisposed him to aid his siblings in surviving and reproducing, then those genes they might survive in the population. Help siblings have kids: the only evidence possibly in support of the hypothesis so far comes from samoa (e. g. , vasey & vanderlaan, 2010). In samoa, fa"afafi(cid:374)e ((cid:862)(cid:373)ea(cid:374)s i(cid:374) the (cid:373)a(cid:374)(cid:374)er of wo(cid:373)a(cid:374)(cid:863)) identify as a third gender. Fa"afafine had higher levels of avuncular tendencies than either the gynephillic men with children or with no children. That fa"afafine were more willing to baby sit, buy toys, contribute money to for their medical expenses/education.
