ISSN 1671-3710
CN 11-4766/R
主办:中国科学院心理研究所
出版:科学出版社

Advances in Psychological Science ›› 2012, Vol. 20 ›› Issue (10): 1679-1689.doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1042.2012.01679

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The Effect of Unbalanced Sex Ratio on Human Behavior

XING Cai;ZHANG Xi;NIU Jian-Lin   

  1. (1 Department of Psychology, Renmin University of China, Beijing 100872, China) (2 Institute of Population and Labor Economics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Beijing 100732, China)
  • Received:2011-12-23 Online:2012-10-15 Published:2012-10-23
  • Contact: XING Cai

Abstract: The ratio of males to females in a population has been shown to influence behavior in both animals and humans. Building on theories in evolutionary psychology and empirical studies in relevant fields, we summarize the effects of sex ratio on human behavior in six categories: sex selection, mating, marriage, parental investment, aggressive behavior, and economic behavior. This topic may be especially relevant to the Chinese context, due to the growing tendency for males to outnumber females in Chinese society. Therefore, a comprehensive understanding of how and why sex ratio influences individuals’ psychology and behavior, especially among Chinese population, has the potential to shed light on a number of important social issues.

Key words: sex ratio, operational sex ratio, mating, sex selection, economic behavior