Aggression Booklet 4: Evolutionary explanation Flashcards
What does the evolutionary explanation suggest?
That aggression is adaptive, this meaning that being aggressive increases chance of survival or reproductive success
What are the different sections of Ao1 for evolutionary explanation?
-Protecting/acquiring resources and status
-Sexual jealousy
How does aggression lead to social status?
-Being aggressive leads to social status as it leads to dominance showing you are stronger and more aggressive than others. This enhances chance of survival as other people less likely to take resources or harm you
How does aggression lead to money?
-Aggression leads to money as you’re more likely to get better jobs if you’re more competitive and aggressive in the work place, this enhances chance of survival as you’re more likely to live and eat
How does aggression lead to territory?
-By being aggressive, you mark your territory and people are more likely to stay away from your territory so you remain dominant to survive and reproduce in your territory
According to evolution how does aggression increase reproductive success?
-By beign aggressive, it enhances our reproductive success as women want a more aggressive male who can protect her and her offspring
-Aggression is also linked with higher testosterone and reproductive success
What is sexual jealousy?
An emotional state experienced by males when they fear their partner may leave them and engage in sexual relations with another male, thus reducing their own reproductive success
Why does sexual jealousy increase aggression?
As males can’t be sure they’ve fathered their own child and don’t want to waste time and resources on another man’s child, they are aggressive to potential rivals in order to prevent cuckoldry
What are MRT’s?
Evolutionary explanations claim men use Mate Retention Tactic’s to deter their partner from leaving or cheating
Buss proposes 2 different types of MRT’s used by males when they experience sexual jealousy
What are the 2 MRT’s?
-Direct Guarding
-Negative inducements
Explain direct guarding…
Not aggressive but leads to an aggressive tactic, this involves the male becomign increasingly vigilant of the female in an attempt to restrict her freedom and prevent other males gaining access
Explain negative inducements…
This involves the male using aggressive threats against the female in an attempt to ward off other males and make her feel unworthy of their attention
What are the evaluations of the evolutionary explanation?
😃Evidence to support (Daly and Wilson)
😃Evidence to support (Shackleford)
😢Socially sensitive conclusions (blame from abusers)
😢Can’t explain homosexual relationships
What did Daly and Wilson find?
Homicide rates much higher when a man’s wife or partner about to leave him / left. Daly also found men were more violent when they discovered their wife or partner had been unfaithful
What did Shackleford find?
Examined cases of uroxicide (partner killing) found in 13,670 cases women more likely to be murdered if young. Can be argued murder of a young woman maladaptive and goes against theory.
