The Madonna–whore complex: An empirical test of evolutionary hypotheses.

Sigmund Freud described the Madonna–whore complex (MWC) as the dichotomization of female sexuality based on its nature of either virtue or vice. Contemporary scientific views have further operationalized this phenomenon as individuals’ attitudes and perceptions of female sexual behaviors ranging from chaste (Madonnas) to promiscuous (whores). Previous social science studies have indicated the presence of sizeable and positive associations between social dominance orientation, sexism, and the MWC across multiple national groups, suggesting the high cross-cultural validity of this construct. Although these studies have provided a theoretical and empirical deeper scientific understanding of this phenomenon, few publications have examined the MWC through an evolutionary lens. The present study was based on self-reported data from undergraduate students enrolled in University of Sonora. A cascade model revealed indirect influences of life history speed on MWC, wherein slow life history strategists scored lower on behavioral impulsivity, which in turn predicted greater social antagonism. Moreover, participants’ general degree of social conflictiveness positively predicted MWC. The analyses also indicated that mating strategies, such as self-reported levels of intrasexual competition and mate-guarding tactics, positively influenced MWC scores. These results provide empirical evidence concerning the role of life history speed, behavioral impulsivity, social antagonism, intrasexual competition, and mate guarding on individual differences in the endorsement of MWC beliefs. The Madonna–whore complex, the tendency of males to dichotomize female sexuality into chaste Madonnas and promiscuous whores, is understood exclusively as a neurosis until it was lately described as an evolved feature of the male mind. This publication tests some of the empirical hypotheses extending from this recently articulated evolutionary theory, showing that this tendency to see females’ sexuality as an extreme dichotomy is a correlate of dark triad traits, impulsivity, fast life histories, mate guarding, and other forms of sexual conflict.