500 Harlequin romance novel cover images, published from 1953 to 2014: Exploring the interactions among women’s evolved mating behaviors & sociocultural norm changes; increasing explicitness reflects permissiveness shifts

Fisher, M. L., & Meredith, T. (2021). Evolutionary and sociocultural themes in cover art on harlequin romance novels: A temporal analysis. Evolutionary Behavioral Sciences. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/ebs0000258

Abstract: We analyzed over 500 Harlequin romance novel cover images, published from 1953 to 2014, to explore the interactions among women’s evolved mating behaviors and sociocultural norm changes. Examination of the covers reveals that over time there was an increasingly intimate focus on the couple (to the exclusion of other individuals), as represented by more reclining poses, physical interactions, and direct eye gazing. We contend, given that women have been the primary consumers of romance novels, that the covers address women’s evolved mate preferences and that the increasing explicitness of the imagery, in terms of sexuality and intimacy, reflects sociocultural shifts in permissiveness. Therefore, Harlequin cover art represents an innovative lens through which to examine both evolutionary and sociocultural forces pertaining to women’s evolved sexuality and mating interests. We discuss ideas for future research such as how the analysis of cover art could provide a case study in evoked cultural behaviors that result from shared psychological mechanisms produced in response to local environmental cues.