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Understanding gender differences across relationship stages requires integrating evolutionary, ontological, and proximate mechanisms

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 June 2026

Iris V. Wahring Open the ORCID record for Iris V. Wahring [Opens in a new window] ,
Jeffry A. Simpson Open the ORCID record for Jeffry A. Simpson [Opens in a new window]  and
Paul A. M. Van Lange Open the ORCID record for Paul A. M. Van Lange [Opens in a new window]
Iris V. Wahring*
Affiliation:
Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria iris.wahring@univie.ac.at Department of Psychology, Humboldt University Berlin, Berlin, Germany simps108@umn.edu https://cla.umn.edu/about/directory/profile/simps108
Jeffry A. Simpson
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA
Paul A. M. Van Lange
Affiliation:
Department of Experimental and Applied Psychology, VU Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands p.a.m.van.lange@vu.nl www.paulvanlange.com University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
*
*Corresponding author.
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Abstract

Many commentaries subscribe to the main conclusions of the target article. Here, we primarily address the need for greater theorizing and empirical findings that seem contradictory to parts of our conclusions. We highlight the importance of integrating evolutionary, ontological, and proximate mechanisms in order to understand differences more comprehensively between men and women in heterosexual relationships in most Western societies.

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Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 49 , 2026 , e132
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© The Author(s), 2026. Published by Cambridge University Press

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