The tendency to cheat or polygamy, which is especially evident in animal nature, has a biological explanation: the Coolidge effect. In today’s relationships, since the areas where people can communicate with each other much more easily have expanded, people no longer approach relationships that need to be loyal to one person as much as they used to. Therefore, although the coolidge effect is thought to have evolutionary benefits, it may have harmful effects on today’s relationships.
Well, we have examined in our content whether the Coolidge effect, which is related to sexuality, which is one of the basic impulses of both animals and humans, scientifically makes deception logical.
What is the Coolidge effect, which is thought to be one of the scientific causes of deception?
The Coolidge effect, in short, is a biological phenomenon seen in animals and humans. It is used to describe renewed sexual desire. That is, it is an effect that defines increased sexual desire in both males and females, being more common in males when a new sexual partner emerges.
The coolidge effect in humans can be defined as follows. For example, you have a long-term partner, but after a while you get bored of having a relationship with him and therefore your sexual drive has decreased. Even if your sexual desire for the person in your life decreases, you can easily become sexually aroused as soon as a new partner appears attractive to you.
Hence, this phenomenon, called the coolidge effect, is seen as the cause of cheating. But it’s also thought to have an evolutionary benefit, as one male can fertilize more than one female.
So where does the coolidge effect get its name?
The name of the Coolidge effect emerged in the early 1920s as a result of the then US President Calvin Coolidge and his wife visiting a farm. The president’s wife and president Calvin stumble upon a chicken coop while wandering around the farm, and Mrs. Coolidge wonders how many times a day chickens have sex. Miss Coolidge is surprised when she receives dozens of replies.
When Mr. Coolidge asks the guide whether he has the same female all the time, he gets the answer ‘no’ and the president is surprised by this performance of the rooster. The roosters are focused on picking another hen at a time.
What research shows about the Coolidge effect?
An experiment was performed on mice to gain information about the Coolidge effect. Two mice, male and female, are placed in a cage, but the females are changed at regular intervals after sufficient sexual activity has taken place. The male mouse starts to feel exhausted after a while after sexual activity with the same female. Until a new female rat, the sexual partner for the male, is placed in the cage.
Seeing the new female, the male mouse’s energy comes back and the exhaustion towards his old partner disappears. The same was observed in female mice, but not as quickly as in males. The reason for this, in short, can be thought of as the pleasure created by the sense of curiosity brought about by the novelty and the unknown. After this research with quite striking results, the question “Well, if we choose monogamy, will the passion in the relationship die over time?” The question may come to mind.
Is there a difference in the coolidge effect between genders?
Studies show that the coolidge effect is predominantly male behavior in humans, as observed in most animals such as mice and chickens. This situation, which is also seen as an evolutionary benefit, is caused by the male urge to fertilize as many females as possible, although it is more acceptable among animals, it can pose a problem among humans.
The reason why the coolidge effect is more common in males is because females are more selective in choosing partners because they directly experience the effects of situations that may occur during sexual activity (such as pregnancy).
Well, what can we do to avoid being affected by the coolidge in our relationships?
According to most researchers, the coolidge effect is associated with infidelity in our relationships and the resulting cheating. However, there are some conditions that reduce the coolidge effect in humans. This coolidge effect, which is caused by ethical and moral situations in human relations, is not true, since it is cheating for a person in a relationship to seek other partners due to decreased sexual interest in his partner. We mentioned that the phenomenon is more common in men, as seen in the results of the research. Therefore, it is scientifically proven that men are more prone to cheating than women.
Of course, while there is an effect that can be explained scientifically, it is not acceptable to be with others if the partners in the relationship do not agree on it. In long-term relationships, couples should consider the possibility of getting bored with each other after a while, and in such cases, they should communicate and act solution-oriented.
In addition, according to British evolutionary psychologist Satoshi Kanazawa, the probability of a coolidge effect in a person is inversely proportional to the intelligence quotient. In other words, it can also be an indicator of your intelligence to take refuge in the coolidge effect and deceive because it has been scientifically proven.
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