TY - JOUR
T1 - The Fluctuating Female Vote
T2 - Politics, Religion, and the Ovulatory Cycle
AU - Durante, Kristina M.
AU - Rae, Ashley
AU - Griskevicius, Vladas
PY - 2013/6
Y1 - 2013/6
N2 - Each month, many women experience an ovulatory cycle that regulates fertility. Although research has found that this cycle influences women's mating preferences, we proposed that it might also change women's political and religious views. Building on theory suggesting that political and religious orientation are linked to reproductive goals, we tested how fertility influenced women's politics, religiosity, and voting in the 2012 U.S. presidential election. In two studies with large and diverse samples, ovulation had drastically different effects on single women and women in committed relationships. Ovulation led single women to become more liberal, less religious, and more likely to vote for Barack Obama. In contrast, ovulation led women in committed relationships to become more conservative, more religious, and more likely to vote for Mitt Romney. In addition, ovulation-induced changes in political orientation mediated women's voting behavior. Overall, the ovulatory cycle not only influences women's politics but also appears to do so differently for single women than for women in relationships.
AB - Each month, many women experience an ovulatory cycle that regulates fertility. Although research has found that this cycle influences women's mating preferences, we proposed that it might also change women's political and religious views. Building on theory suggesting that political and religious orientation are linked to reproductive goals, we tested how fertility influenced women's politics, religiosity, and voting in the 2012 U.S. presidential election. In two studies with large and diverse samples, ovulation had drastically different effects on single women and women in committed relationships. Ovulation led single women to become more liberal, less religious, and more likely to vote for Barack Obama. In contrast, ovulation led women in committed relationships to become more conservative, more religious, and more likely to vote for Mitt Romney. In addition, ovulation-induced changes in political orientation mediated women's voting behavior. Overall, the ovulatory cycle not only influences women's politics but also appears to do so differently for single women than for women in relationships.
KW - evolutionary psychology
KW - fertility
KW - political attitudes
KW - relationships
KW - religiosity
KW - religious beliefs
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84878788378&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84878788378&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1177/0956797612466416
DO - 10.1177/0956797612466416
M3 - Article
C2 - 23613210
AN - SCOPUS:84878788378
SN - 0956-7976
VL - 24
SP - 1007
EP - 1016
JO - Psychological Science
JF - Psychological Science
IS - 6
ER -