Biological Approach

Question 1

what is evolutionary theory?

Answer 1

-behaviours seen in people are present because in the evolutionary history of the human species, these behaviours were helpful or necessary for survival

Question 2

what is sociometer theory of self-esteem?

Answer 2

feeling of self-esteem evolved to monitor the degree to which we are accepted by others

• important to be accepted, if shunned then may die alone..

Question 3

Depression as adaptive?

Answer 3

• depressive reactions may be adaptive
• • pain signals something could be wrong + must be fixed
• • crying may seek social support
• fatigue/pessimism prevents wasting energy

Question 4

depression and fever - same?

Answer 4

block fever = prolong infection

maybe blocking sadness is blocking that something is wrong. instead of anti-D drugs, work thru what is wrong

Question 5

Sex differences in mate selection?

Answer 5

• Men : higher value on physical attractiveness; younger

- W higher value on economic security; older

Question 6

what do both sexes value/

Answer 6

intelligence, kindness & for someone to have healthy offspring with

Question 7

How the sexes adapt to fit the mold of the best mate?

Answer 7

W: focus on youth, physical health + beauty

M: essential in his capacity to provide resources to children

Question 8

3 complications with mate selection hypothesis?

Answer 8

1. women with low % body fat will stop menstruating and therefore be unable to conceive (overestimate the thinness that males want in a partner)
2. Whether we consider someone attractive can be determined by whether we like them + vice versa
3. male physical attractiveness is more important to women than evolutionary explanation allows

Question 9

men mating strategies?

Answer 9

tend to want more sexual partners

• less picky
• want greatest number of children

Question 10

women mating strategies?

Answer 10

more picky.

• selective about their mating partners, and have greter desire for monogamy + stable relationship
• more likely to have viable offspring if man stays + supports

Question 11

what is sociosexuality (SS)?

Answer 11

willingness to engage in sexual relations in absense of committed relationships

Question 12

men vs women in SS

Answer 12

men score higher usually

- but, “unrestricted” women score equally high as men + more interested in physical attractiveness + social visibility

Question 13

speed dating study

Answer 13

men high in trait were more accurate in who wanted to see them again = knew mate value. and were more likely to be picked to be seen again

W: sociosexuality was not as conducive to accuracy in predicting correctness + being chosen. rather Aggreeableness was the factor that increased correctness + being chosen

Question 14

sexual jealousy study

Answer 14

• more distress for M when sexual infidelity, more distress for W when emotional infidelity
• more extreme: fewer men chose diff sex positions over partner falling in love with someone else. *w stayed approx same

Question 15

evolutionarily speaking, greatest worry + what brings greatest sexual jealousy?

Answer 15

M: worry he’s not the father

W: worry her mate will develop bond with someone else + withdraw support

Question 16

sexy son hypothesis

Answer 16

• some women follow atypical reproductive strategy
• • instead of looking for male that’ll provide for her+offspring, takes chance with unstable but attractive one.
• • if produce boy, he’ll probably be the same + sow seed a lot like dad. = genes passed on.

Question 17

controversies of Sexy son hypothesis

Answer 17

W attracted to physically attractive men aren’t interested in Long-term relation.

Question 18

4 evolutionary explanations for individual difference

Answer 18

1. diversity is essential (need ind differences for adaptations)
2. behavioural patterns evolve as reactions to particular environmental experiences
3. people may have evolved several possible behavioural strategies + use the one that makes sense given other characteristics (innate ability, but only express if have other characteristic)

4.some biologically influenced behaviour may be frequency dependent (evolved to have minimal of some characters because theyre dangerous to have many

Question 19

5 objections to evolutionary hypothesis

Answer 19

1. methodology
2. reproductive instinct
3. conservativism
4. human flexibility
5. biological vs social

Question 20

objection of methodolody + response?

Answer 20

• ad-hoc (speculate backwards) explanations
• difficult to test empirically
• behaviour not reflected by most ppl (rare)
• not all traits are adaptive, may be side effect of other adaptation

response: any theory will have alternative explanations + is difficult to confirm/dis-confirm entirely

Question 21

objection of reproductive instinct + response?

Answer 21

today ppl limit their reproduction.

response: ppl don’t follow theory consciously, but pattern was followed in the past so it’s an innate tendency.

Question 22

objections and responses - conservativism

Answer 22

• conservative bias
• implies that current behavior is inevitable + unchangeable

response: argument is more political than scientific. science doesnt care if what is natural is/isnt good

Question 23

objections + response - human flexibility

Answer 23

• evolutionary accounts seem to describe behaviour as genetically programmed, but humans are flexible. + can reason and think.
• evolutionary theory states that there are innate patterns, but acknowledges the flexibility = contradiction

Question 24

objections + reasonings- biological vs social?

Answer 24

• many behavioural phenomena may be result of human flexibility responding to circumstances, especially social structures.