Evolutionary explanation of aggression Flashcards
What is evolution?
Adaptation of species over time
What are evolutionary explanations as to why humans are aggressive? (4)
- Protect themselves
- Assert dominance
- Protect resources
- Deter partners from infidelity
Who supports this?
Daly and Wilson - 58/214 cases of murder motivated my sexual jealousy and warning potential rivals - credible
OTOH - not all of the murders were motivated my this - less valid
Who conflicts this?
Raine - suggests it is instead brain areas that link to aggression when studying the brains of NGRI murderers
OTOH - Raine isn’t generalisable - androcentric only 2 females
Other theories?
Hormonal explanation - suggests hormones like testosterone increase aggression - supported by Beeman - OTOH - not generalisable to humans
Usefulness?
Fails to explain why some cultures require violence for social status
Tesability?
Hard to test as is it post hoc and is also very deterministic
