Decision making and erotic stimuli: An evolutionary perspective

Abstract

Exposing individuals to erotic stimuli modifies perceived time horizons, causing subjects to assign greater value to the present than the future. This can be explained by different models, including the theory of visceral factors and evolutionary psychology. Specifically, evolutionary theory analyses the latest reasons as explanatory variables of this behaviour. An evolutionary perspective was used to perform two experiments where individuals were exposed to pictures containing erotic stimuli. The first experiment, in which both men and women took part, shows that the influence of such stimuli on risk perception is different in the two sexes. The second experiment, in which only women took part, shows that female risk perception varies according to the subject's aims in a relationship.