Evolution, natural selection, and its role for explaining aggression:

Question 1

What does Evolutionary Psych suggests?

Answer 1

Over rime we adapt to changes in the environment to ensure survival. As we evolve new characteristics may become important for survival. Reproduction is essential for survival and evolution.

Question 2

What does Natural/Sexual selection suggest?

Answer 2

Those who best adapt to their surroundings are more likely to survive an pass on their genes. ‘Survival of the fittest’ those who hold the best characteristics they will have the best chance of surviving. Sexual selection leads to some characteristics being passes on that ensure that reproduction occurs some characteristics make individuals more attractive.

Question 3

Evolutionary Theory and Aggression: Males:

Answer 3

Males have evolved to be bigger and stronger which allow them to feed and protect so their genes will pass on. Evolved to be more aggressive and make them more attractive as they can protect. Competition has lead to males being more aggressive.

Question 4

Evolutionary Theory and Aggression: Females:

Answer 4

Females will be less aggressive as they spend a lot more time looking after young children. Which explains why F tend to be more emotionally and verbally aggressive.

Question 5

Supporting Evidence: Mazur:

Answer 5

I: Found that males fight less as they grow older as they have often found a partner by their late 20’s. J: Therefore, males no longer need to show dominance with other males once they have won a mate.

Question 6

Supporting Evidence: Ladeveze et al:

Answer 6

I: Found in fossils of marsupials the males are much bigger than the females. J: This shows that bigger males had an advantage over smaller males and were able to pass on their genes.

Question 7

Supporting Evidence: Buss:

Answer 7

I: Found that males tend to prefer younger females as they will be at their reproductive peak but female prefer older wealthier males. J: This supports evolutionary theory as females also want the survival of their gene pool, which had increased chance when wealthier males can care for their offspring.

Question 8

Critical Evidence: Wolfgang et al:

Answer 8

I: Found that aggression is discouraged from childhood among the Kung San people, whereas the Yanomami tribe use aggression to gain status and power. J: This indicates that aggression is not critical to survival as cultural views are also important and change our levels of aggression shown.

Question 9

Critical Evidence: Bandura:

Answer 9

I: Showed that children will observe and imitate physical aggression towards a bobo doll after observing a role model. J: This suggests that aggressive behaviour is learned and a product of your environment (nurture), rather than being a natural evolutionary behaviour which we have adopted from our early ancestors to survive and pass on genes to future generations.

Question 10

One Strength: Scientific:

Answer 10

Evolutionary theory is a scientific explanation of human behaviour as it is based on a careful examination of fossils of numerous species found and analysed by scientists. This is a strength as it increases the validity and credibility of evolutionary theory in explaining aggression and it can therefore be used to predict what may have caused aggressive behaviour in the results of future studies. 

Question 11

One weakness: Reductionist:

Answer 11

Evolutionary theory is reductionist in that it simplifies aggression down to being caused by what is needed for survival. This is a weakness as it ignores other factors that could affect aggression and therefore may not be helpful in the treatment for all individuals. For example, if somebody is aggressive due to learned behaviour (SLT) then treatment may require an unlearning of aggression and evolutionary theory does not account for this.