My quick skim seems to suggest that this is a correlative study, so the way that this title is phrased is misleading, I think. A major alternative explanation that's completely not mentioned is that people who produce more sperm are also more likely to suspect their partners were not faithful.
For instance, perhaps baseline stress or paranoia induces sperm maturation through some sort of hormonal signaling, and it also causes people to be more suspicious of other people.
Right. It’s an obvious control metric they ignored, since abstinence is strongly correlated with both phenomena.
It’s part of sperm bank donation protocols (to increase sperm count) for example, and couples’ therapy often treats it as a common precursor for ideations relating to infidelity.
I get that it might be difficult to reliably gather the information. But just the question “so… you guys fuckin?” could spare us all these bizarre theories.
Yep.
So, poly couples are more likely to get pregnant?
I think only if he felt threatened by the others. Like the jizz competition is not inherent but rather stimulated by the dudes worry of being out jizzed by his partner’s man whores.
That's not paradox tho??
the word paradox has basically lost all meaning at this point
the paradox of the uneaten pizza :OOOOOOOO
Does this mean that if you're trying for a baby, you should think about your wife with other people?
I seemed to recall something a long time ago similar to this about men who went off for long periods like truckers and military.
General discussions about "science" itself
Be sure to also check out these other Fediverse science communities: