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cuckoldry

n. sexual behavior in which a pair-bonded female mates with a male other than her partner. Only about 10% of bird species that are socially monogamous are genetically monogamous as well (see monogamy). Males whose mates engage in extrapair mating assist in the rearing of the unrelated offspring. Females practicing cuckoldry may benefit from having progeny from genetically higher quality males; for example, female blackbirds that do this have more surviving offspring than monogamous blackbirds.

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Psychology term of the day

November 25th 2024

secular humanism

secular humanism

a broad perspective, increasingly influential in Western countries since the mid-20th century, that can be characterized by some or all of the following: (a) a belief in seeking solutions to human problems through science and rational thought rather than through religion or traditional forms of morality; (b) a focus on this world rather than on a putative afterlife; (c) an emphasis on an intrinsic human potential for growth rather than on human limitation or sinfulness; (d) a search for new truth and a belief in free thought, free speech, and free inquiry as the means to find it; (e) an acceptance of cultural and human diversity, including sexual diversity; and (f) an acceptance of some degree of relativism in ethics, usually accompanied by some type of utilitarianism in practice.