The female orgasm may be a means for selecting mates for committed long-term relationships, according to a new study published in Evolutionary Psychology.
While the male orgasm is necessary for sexual reproduction, the female orgasm is not. Thus, some scholars have argued that the female orgasm is unlikely to be an adaptation, but rather, the evolutionary by-product of the male orgasm. Others have emphasized the adaptive benefits of the female orgasm.
The mate-choice hypothesis of the female orgasm posits that it “functions to select males.” The selection of good long-term mates could occur through various mechanisms.
The long-term pair bonding hypothesis forwards that the female orgasm functions to promote commitment to a relationship by encouraging emotional bonding and attachment. High amounts of oxytocin – a hormone involved in emotional bonding – are released during intercourse and orgasm.
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Women’s love for their partner fully explained the relationship between orgasm frequency and both relationship satisfaction and expected duration. Overall, the authors “found support for the mate-choice hypothesis of female orgasm,” writing that the “differential mediation indicates that this hypothesis operates through promoting long-term pair bonds rather than signaling male partner’s care and commitment.”
