Evolutionary Explanation For Partner Preference

Question 1

What is meant by sexual selection

Answer 1

The reproductive success

Question 2

What is evolution

Answer 2

• humans have adapted to the environment over millions of years
• humans have evolved so our behaviours have evolved
• a behaviour is adaptive if it leads to increased survival and reproduction of and organism

Question 3

What is anisogamy

Answer 3

The differences between male and female sex gametes

• males produce small gametes but in large amounts
• females produce larger gametes but in smaller amounts

Question 4

What are females more chosy then males

Answer 4

• females invest more in the production, because the egg is more costly to produce and they have to nourish their child for 9 months which means they can only have a limited number
• where as males can have as many offspring as they want

Question 5

What is intrasexusl selection

Answer 5

• females have the most investment so she has to be chosy
• she devises a set of criteria that he has to meet
• she does this on reproductiveness, looks and resources
• modern time resources would be Money and status
• pays for women to be chosy because she selects genetically fit partner and makes the best offspring that she can
• quality over quantity

Question 6

What is the runaway process

Answer 6

This is when an adaptive feature will be selected for when females choose a sexual mate. This may result in a feature becoming exaggerated over many generations

Question 7

What is intrasexual selection

Answer 7

• strategy of the males
• they have to compete with other males for the opportunity to mate with females
• refers to the competition
• the winner gets to reproduce and pass on his genes to his offspring
• this strategy has given obvious differences between males and females

Question 8

Impact of inter-sexual selection

Answer 8

• preferences of both sexes determine attributes that are likely to be passed, over time this leads to taller and taller men

Question 9

Intra-sexual selection impacts

Answer 9

• leads to pressure to act a certain way
• aggression- most aggressive men are more likely to reproduce therefore this trait is likely to pass on
• male preference for younger women- sign of fertility

Question 10

What is the baby face hypothesis

Answer 10

• an alternative theory
• research suggests that men universally seek characteristics in a mate that signify fertility
• this theory suggests there are other traits why there are universal standards of beauty
• ‘baby face’
• adults may have evolved a preference for baby features because this ensures that we care for our young

Question 11

Main evaluation key study

Answer 11

• Clark and Hatfield
• one male actor and one female actor went round campus and said ‘ they were very attractive and would they sleep with them to ight’
• 75% males said yes
• 0% women said no
• males have evolved mechanisms to increase their reproductive success, including a preference for sexual variety
• supports inter sexual

Question 12

General evaluation

Answer 12

:( ignores social and cultural influences
- influenced by rapidly changing social norms of sexual behaviour
- these develop much faster than evolutionary timescales
- suggests come about due to cultural factors such as contraception
- women have a greater role in the workplace so no longer dependent on men
:( doesn’t take into account why there are all sorts of different relationships such as homosexual

Question 13

Issues and debates

What type of gender bias is this

Answer 13

• alpha

- it exaggerates the differences between males and females choices when choosing a partner