Evolution and aggression

Question 1

DNA

Answer 1

controls gene activity

Question 2

dominant genes

Answer 2

always lead to certain characteristics

Question 3

recessive genes

Answer 3

need more than one copy to produce a characteristic

Question 4

what is the environmental influence on genes

Answer 4

some genes do not influence physical characteristics unless the right environmental conditions occur

Question 5

mutation

Answer 5

a change in the genetic structure of an animal or plant which makes it different from others of the same kind

Question 6

what needs to happen for natural selection to work

Answer 6

sufficient variation

Question 7

heritable traits

Answer 7

traits which can be inherited

Question 8

why aren’t all traits heritable

Answer 8

many come from interaction with the environment

Question 9

direct fitness

Answer 9

when a gene gives a characteristic that benefits survival of the individual

Question 10

inclusive fitness

Answer 10

a characteristic which is disadvantageous to the individual but advantageous to their relatives

Question 11

kin selection

Answer 11

a type of natural selection where individuals will sacrifice their own lives in an effort to save closely related organisms

• all parts of the group share genes

Question 12

group selection

Answer 12

individuals in a group may survive more readily as the group can help with the division of labour and to care for offspring

not all share genes

the success of living in a group leads to survival of the genes

Question 13

success (in evolutionary terms)

Answer 13

production of offspring that survive to reproductive maturity

Question 14

what advantage did males have who were physically bigger and stronger

Answer 14

would be more capable of providing food and protecting their mates and offspring, which gave them advantage in terms of mate choice

those who displayed aggressive traits were more successful than those who didn’t

competition for mates has driven masculine aggresion

Question 15

why are females less physically aggressive

Answer 15

it would be an evolutionary disadvantage as females spend long periods of time pregnant, breastfeeding and looking after children

Question 16

Buss (1999)

Answer 16

females would still be in competition for mates even though they aren’t physically aggressive by denigrating other females to potential mates so as to make other women appear less attractive

Question 17

evolution

Answer 17

the changes in inherited characteristics in a biological population over successive generations

Question 18

sexual selection

Answer 18

attributes or behaviours that increase reproductive success are passed on and may become exaggerated over succeeding generations of offspring

Question 19

natural selection

Answer 19

a process that explains evolution as inherited traits which enhance reproductive success and are passed onto the next generation and thus ‘selected’

animals without such traits have less reproductive success and their traits are not selected

Question 20

why does variation arise

Answer 20

genetic recombination and mutations

Question 21

survival of the fittest

Answer 21

when animals in the species reproduce and pass on their characteristics due to a genetic mutation which has increased their likelihood of survival

Question 22

what would have enhanced survival in human evolution

Answer 22

being able to protect yourself and your possessions - so would have been modified by natural selection

Question 23

male retention strategies

Answer 23

often aggressive behaviours men use to retain their partners and prevent them from ‘straying’

(e.g. guarding their partner)

Question 24

Wilson and Daly

Answer 24

direct guarding involves male vigilance over a partners behaviour, for example, keeping tabs on their whereabouts

Question 25

guarding your offspring

Answer 25

human parents will direct aggressive acts against other people that threaten their children

Question 26

why do parents use aggression

Answer 26

as it is a way for parents to protect their ‘investment’ increasing the offspring’s chances in later life

Question 27

what did Steiner say about protecting offspring

Answer 27

is one of the very few situations that females behave as aggressively as males

Question 28

what is bullying viewed as

Answer 28

maladaptive

Question 29

what can maladaptive behaviour be a result of

Answer 29

poor social skills

Question 30

what may our evolutionary ancestors used bullying as

Answer 30

an adaptive strategy to increase survival chances

Question 31

where is female bullying most common

Answer 31

in a relationship and it is a method of controlling the partner

this behaviour is used to secure their partners fertility

Question 32

Volk et al. (2012) - bullying

Answer 32

characteristics associated with bullying are attractive to the opposite sex causing this behaviour to be naturally selected in males as they lead to greater reproductive success

Question 33

Buss and Shakelton (1997)

Answer 33

supporting research explaining the role of evolution in infidelity and jealousy

this is because men tend to give the female everything she wants and they were threatening around other males

this is helpful for the survival of the genes because the men want to make sure they can mate and that the baby is theirs

Question 34

application of the evolutionary theory to real life

Answer 34

helps us to understand human relationships as it predicts that we should choose partners who will enhance our reproductive success

Buss (1989)

Question 35

Buss (1989)

Answer 35

across 33 countries

males preferred younger, more attractive women, perhaps because they are more fertile

Question 36

weakness of the evolutionary theory

Answer 36

cannot explain cultural differences

compare to other approaches - biological (hormones), psychodynamic (trauma in unconscious mind)

Question 37

limitations of the evolutionary theory

Answer 37

uncertain as it is impossible to test directly

Question 38

Kung San - details of study

Answer 38

people of the Kulkari , aggression is discouraged from childhood so is therefore rare

Question 39

Kung San - what does this study show about aggression

Answer 39

cultural norms show aggression is not universal and suggest that naturally determined behaviour can be outweighed by cultural norms