Sex Differences in the Topics of Bathroom Graffiti

Abstract

Several researchers have reported their attempts to document and analyze graffiti that appears in relatively private locations, such as public bathrooms. However, most reports have been sociological or descriptive in nature, and none have seemingly examined Canadian bathrooms. Given that graffiti have existed throughout human history and is readily apparent across cultures, we propose that an evolutionary perspective may be advantageous for understanding the content of graffiti. To explore this possibility, we examined the themes that emerge in the graffiti of men’s versus women’s bathrooms in order to investigate evolved sex differences, as evidenced in content. We propose that the sex differences in graffiti reflect those that may be expected due to intrasexual competition and mate preferences. The graffiti in men’s bathrooms included far more “tagging” (i.e., signatures or personal logos), potentially indicating territoriality or self-proclamation of status, while the graffiti in women’s bathrooms focused on love and relationships. We conclude with directions for future research based on an evolutionary perspective that may further contribute towards an understanding of graffiti.