What is Westermarck effect?
The '''Westermarck effect''' states that [[children]] who grew up together or who spent a large part of their [[childhood]] together won't find each other [[sexual attraction|sexually attractive]].<ref>Edvard Westermarck: ''The History of Human Marriage.'' Macmillan, London 1891; also, by the same author: ''Recent Theories of Exogamy.'' In: ''Sociological Review.'' year 26, 1934, pp. 22–44.</ref> The effect is named after [[Edvard Westermarck]], a Finnish sociologist. According to Westermark, the idea is to prevent [[incest]] or [[inbreeding]]. Choosing another partner gives an advantage, so this is not a cultural phenomenon. == References == {{Reflist}}{{stub}} [[Category:Incest]] [[Category:Human sexuality]]