Evolutionary Exp for Partner Preferences Flashcards
What is sexual selection?
An evolutionary explanation of partner preference. Attributes or behaviours that increase reproductive success are passed on and may become exaggerated over succeeding generation of offspring.
e.g. Aggression in animals
What is anisogamy?
The differences between male and female sex cells, sperm is small mobile and created continuously from puberty to old age. Female eggs are large and produced at intervals. No shortage of fertile males but female rarer source (anisogamy).
What are the two types of sexual selection?
- Inter-sexual selection
-Intra-sexual selection
What is Inter-sexual selection?
The strategies that males use to select females or females use to select males. Inter-sexual selection is the preferred strategy of the female, quality over quantity.
What did Trivers (1972) suggest?
The females make a greater investment of time, commitment before during and after birth. Consequences for wrong partner choice are more serious for the female, tend to select a genetically fit partner. Female preference determines what traits are passed onto offspring (A runaway process)
What is the sexy sons hypothesis?
Fisher (1930): the genes we see today are those that enhanced reproductive success, females who mate with males who has certain characteristic, the son inherits this “sexy” trait, sons are more likely to be selected for reproduction and trait is perpetuated.
What is intra-sexual selection?
Preferred strategies of the males to be the one selected, quantity over quality. Competition between males to be selected to mate with a female. Strategy has given rise to dimorphism, size matter in males but not in females as they aren’t competition (however, men favour women with large hip to waist ration as seen as fertile). It has behavioural consequences like intelligence and aggression to acquire females.
What is brief AO3?
- Research support for inter-sexual selection (Clark and Hatfield) BUT, simplistic
- Research support for intra-sexual selection (Buss)
- Social and cultural influences underestimated
What are strengths of the evolutionary explanation?
Clark and Hatfield sent male and female psychology students across a university campus and approach individually with this question “I have been noticing you around campus. I find you to be very attractive. Would you go to bed with me tonight?” 0 females said yes, but 75% of males did. Females are choosier then males when it comes to selecting sexual partners.
BUT, this argument is very simplistic as it suggests both sexes are very choosy when it comes to long term relationships, this is a more complex and nuanced view taking into account context of reproductive behaviour.
Buss carried out a survey of over 10,000 adults in 33 countries. He asked questions relating to a variety of attributes that evolutionary theory predicts are important in partner preference. Females put more emphasis on resource-relate whereas males valued physical attraction more. These findings reflect sex differences in partners and support predictions made by this theory.
What are weaknesses of the evolutionary explanation?
Evolutionary theories overlook the influences of social and cultural factors on partner preference. Partner preferences over the past century and influenced by social norms. Women’s greater role in the workplace means they are no longer dependent on men to provide for them. Bereczkei et al argue social change has consequences to women’s mate preferences which may no longer be resource oriented. Partner preferences are likely to be the outcome of a combination of evolutionary and cultural influences, and is a limited explanation as doesn’t account for this
