Evolutionary explanation Flashcards
What is the evolutionary explanation for aggression?
What does it suggest about males?
The belief that aggression has evolved because it solved challenges faced by our distant ancestors and so became more widespread in the gene pool, through the process of natural selection.
Males compete for females as they seek to secure their mate’s fidelity.
What is cuckoldry?
The fear in men that they may be raising another man’s offspring and so investing resources in offspring that are not their own genetic makeup.
What is sexual jealousy?
An adaptation evolved in males to deal with paternal uncertainty.
What are mate retention strategies?
Name the 2
Violent strategies driven by sexual jealousy which aim to prevent the female from mating with other males.
Direct guarding, negative inducements
Outline the two mate retention strategies
Direct guarding - restricting the females freedom to prevent males from gaining access.
Negative inducements - Issuing aggressive threats regarding potential infidelity
2 Strengths for evolutionary explanation (1 COUNTER)
Sexual Jealousy - Violence link:
Evidence shows mate retention strategies are linked to female-directed violence in heterosexual relationships.
Wilson et al. (1995) asked women to report mate
retention strategies in their partners. This was
measured in terms of the extent to which they agreed with statements like, ‘he insists on knowing who you are with and where you are at all times’. They found that women who agreed with such statements and reported mate retention strategies in their partners were twice as likely to have experienced physical violence at the hands on their parents. Of these women, 73% required medical attention and 53% said they feared for their lives.
Explains gender differences in aggression:
Males historically more aggressive.
Campbell (1999) found that a female with offspring is motivated to be less aggressive because such behaviour would put her and her child’s survival at risk. Therefore, they implement a more adaptive strategy and use verbal aggression as a means of retaining a partner who’s able to continue to provide resources, and to avoid becoming involved in life-threatening situations involving physical aggression.
Counter-argument: Prinz (2012) suggests differences in aggression between genders are a product of different socialisation experiences. It has been found that parents are more likely to physically punish boys for poor conduct
1 Limitation for evolutionary explanation (COUNTER)
Aggression is not always adaptive:
Violent or aggressive behaviour can result in social ostracism, injury or even death in extreme cases. Violent male might die in battle or be rejected as mates which can either negatively affect their reproductive opportunities or inhibit the advancement of their genes. Therefore, aggression might be considered more maladaptive than adaptive in some cases.
COUNTER - Duntley and Buss (2004) suggest that adaptive benefits must be evaluated within the context of the costs of carrying out an aggressive behaviour. One critical context for costs pertains to the reputational consequences of aggression. Within “cultures of honour”, failure to aggress when insulted can lead to status loss. Cost-benefit analysis must be carried out
What is the evolutionary explanation for bullying?
· Male bullying – adaptive because it signals desirable characteristics for females (e.g. dominance) and so increases chances of sexual reproduction
· Female bullying – adaptive as they use bullying behaviour to secure partner’s fidelity so they will continue to provide resources for future offspring which enhances reproductive success.
Describe a study which shows support for the evolutionary explanation for aggression. COUNTER
Shackleford et al. (2005): revealed a link between mate retention stratergies and physical violence in relationships.
Investigated intimate partner violence (IPV) in 107 heterosexual married couples by giving them questionnaires. Males were given a questionnaire which assessed their mate retention behaviours and women were given a questionnaire which measured the extent of their partner’s violence. Found a strong positive correlation between men’s reports of their mate retention behaviours and women’s reports of their partners’ physical violence. These findings suggest adaptive mate retention strategies developed in males through evolution which can lead to more aggression.
COUNTER - Self report and social desirability bias.
