The societal dilemma of multiple sexual partners: The costs of the loss ofpair-bonding

Although human reproductive strategies, mating, do not preclude multiple se xual partners, virtually all marriage systems across the world reinforce a pair-bonding template. The question is addressed: why would cultural tradit ions so universally reinforce monogamy-pair-bonding-as a marriage system? C onversely, what happens when multiple partners are increased within a socia l group? Data are presented which suggest that an unraveling of the pair-bo nd template is aligned with a number of serious societal dysfunctions. In t urn, these societal dysfunctions place the commonweal at a disadvantage in the competition among those societies, which generate alternative cultural formulae, based upon reduced numbers of sexual partners.