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Societies also prioritize female survival

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 July 2022

April Bleske-Rechek Open the ORCID record for April Bleske-Rechek [Opens in a new window]  and
Robert O. Deaner
April Bleske-Rechek
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, Eau Claire, WI 54720, USA bleskeal@uwec.edu https://bleske-rechek.com
Robert O. Deaner
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Grand Valley State University, Allendale, MI 49401-9403, USA robert.deaner@gmail.com http://faculty.gvsu.edu/deanerr
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Abstract

We extend Benenson et al.'s hypothesis from the individual level to the societal level. Because women have highly limited reproductive rates, societies have generally prioritized female survival and regarded males as expendable. We describe various lines of evidence that are consistent with this hypothesis, and we offer additional predictions about differential attitudes toward male versus female endangerment.

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Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 45 , 2022 , e131
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Copyright © The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press

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