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138Chapter 7ous scale (McCarthy, Arnold, Ball, Blaustein, & De Vries, 2012), renderingthe need for a domain-specific difference unmerited. Thus, it would still bepossible that both of the mediators, which exhibit sex differences, are proximate explanations for sex differences in the perception of sexual interestthat are expected under EMT.In addition, the authors posit a more parsimonious explanation for projection of one’s own interest onto potential partners. Specifically, they statethat projection would lead to increased mating success regardless of sex.However, this contrasts with two important points. First, it does not account for the general sex difference in interest in potential partners: mentend to be attracted more often to a potential partner than women (e.g.,Kurzban & Weeden, 2005). Second, this argument disregards the fact thatwomen suffer higher reproductive costs, such as losing paternal support, ifthey choose a suboptimal partner, as opposed to men. Crucially, this discrepancy is central to EMT (Haselton & Buss, 2000), and has been demonstrated in women of reproductive age compared to post-menopausal women(Cyrus, Schwarz, & Hassebrauck, 2011). Thus, we are not fully convincedthat this alternative explanation is warranted.To conclude this commentary, we want to emphasize that distinguishingproximate and ultimate explanations in psychology remains crucial. Unfortunately, conflating evolutionary function with mechanism is an oftenencountered yet crucial mishap. To understand and explain behavior, weneed to answer both the proximate and the ultimate questions (MacDougallShackleton, 2011). Therefore, researchers would benefit by acknowledgingthe distinction between these two explanations: they are two sides of thesame coin, yet fundamentally different. As Scott-Phillips and colleagues(Scott-Phillips, Dickins, & West, 2011, p. 45) pointedly stated “[Scientific]progress will be quicker and more efficiently achieved if the underlying theory, including the proximate–ultimate distinction, is properly applied.”ous scale (McCarthy, Arnold, Ball, Blaustein, & De Vries, 2012), renderingthe need for a domain-specific difference unmerited. Thus, it would still bepossible that both of the mediators, which exhibit sex differences, are proximate explanations for sex differences in the perception of sexual interestthat are expected under EMT.In addition, the authors posit a more parsimonious explanation for projection of one’s own interest onto potential partners. Specifically, they statethat projection would lead to increased mating success regardless of sex.However, this contrasts with two important points. First, it does not account for the general sex difference in interest in potential partners: mentend to be attracted more often to a potential partner than women (e.g.,Kurzban & Weeden, 2005). Second, this argument disregards the fact thatwomen suffer higher reproductive costs, such as losing paternal support, ifthey choose a suboptimal partner, as opposed to men. Crucially, this discrepancy is central to EMT (Haselton & Buss, 2000), and has been demonstrated in women of reproductive age compared to post-menopausal women(Cyrus, Schwarz, & Hassebrauck, 2011). Thus, we are not fully convincedthat this alternative explanation is warranted.To conclude this commentary, we want to emphasize that distinguishingproximate and ultimate explanations in psychology remains crucial. Unfortunately, conflating evolutionary function with mechanism is an oftenencountered yet crucial mishap. To understand and explain behavior, weneed to answer both the proximate and the ultimate questions (MacDougallShackleton, 2011). Therefore, researchers would benefit by acknowledgingthe distinction between these two explanations: they are two sides of thesame coin, yet fundamentally different. As Scott-Phillips and colleagues(2011, p. 45) pointedly stated “[Scientific] progress will be quicker and moreefficiently achieved if the underlying theory, including the proximate–ultimate distinction, is properly applied.”Iliana Samara 17x24.indd 138 08-04-2024 16:36