Aggression - Evolutionary Explanations for Aggression Flashcards
Do males have low parental certainty or high parental investment? Explain.
Low parental certainty - do not know if baby is theirs, will not want to devote time and resources to another man’s child.
Do females have low parental certainty or high parental investment? Explain.
High parental investment - knows baby is hers, invests lots of time and resources into pregnancy, childcare and birth.
When do males experience jealousy?
When they suspect their mate of having sex with another man.
When do females experience jealousy?
If they suspect their mate of spending resources or time with anther female.
What can jealousy in males lead to?
Aggressive behaviour ranging from mate guarding to physical violence against woman or other man.
What can jealousy in females lead to?
May be expressed in aggression as a way of driving off the other woman who is in competition with her.
What three factors are implicated in the explanation for Competition for mates/resources/status?
Sexual Jealousy
Lack of Resources
Threats to male status
What is the seuxal jealousy explanation for murder?
Males would be removing competition for females and ensuring their own genes survive.
What is the lack of resources explanation for murder?
Females attracted to men who can provide for their young. A lack of resources increases male-male competition and the risk of murder.
What is the threats to male status explanation for murder?
Females attracted to males who are dominant over other males, therefore males shaped by evolution to seek status, So able to mate and ensure their gene pool survives.
What are the three studies associated with Competition for mates/resources/status?
Buss et al (1992)
Daly and Wilson
Daly and Wilson
What happened in Buss et al (1992)?
Designed study to test which form of infidelity will trigger more distress in males and females. Two questions. Found 60% of males more distressed at partner’s sexual infidelity and 83% of women more distressed at partner’s emotional attachment.
Evaluate Buss et al (1992).
Only conducted on students of particular age and culture, cannot generalise results. Effects validity of results.
What happened in the first study of Daly and Wilson?
looked at murder stats, showed 43% male perpetrators were unemployed, overall unemployment rate was 11%. Support explanation that competition for resources increases male aggression.
What happened in the second study of Daly and Wilson?
8 studies of same-sex murder involving ‘love triangles’, found 92% involved male killing male. Supports explanation that sexual jealousy and an evolutionary imperative to dominate other males increases aggression between males.
