evolutionary explanations Flashcards
what is at the basis of evolutionary explanations
survival and reproduction
what is sexual competition
male on male aggression for access to female mates to pass on their genes
how does sexual competition aid evolution in terms of aggression
males with the genetic aggressive genes, who are more likely to succeed in competition will pass on these genes which will increase in the gene pool over generations, producing aggressive offspring which can outcompete other males
what is sexual jealousy
male on female aggression as they are uncertain of paternity
what does sexual jealousy put males in risk of
cuckoldry
what is cuckoldry
raising a child that isnt genetically your own
what is the adaptive function of anti-cuckoldry behaviours
deter a mate (females) from sexual infidelity
what have men developed as anti-cuckoldry behaviours
mate retention strategies
what are examples of mate-retention strategies
direct guarding and negative inducements
what is direct guarding
involves male vigilance over a partner’s behaviour e.g. checking who they’ve been seeing, coming home early, keeping tabs on their whereabouts, installing tracking apps on their mobiles, etc.
what is negative inducements
issuing threats and dire consequences for infidelity, involving aggression
what did research find in relation to sexual jealousy
Dell:
17% of all murders in the UK were as a result of sexual jealousy
what did research find in relation to mate retention strategies
Shackelford:
mate retention strategies have been linked to intimate partner violence (IPV).
men who used guarding or negative inducements were more likely to use physical violence against their partners.
what was the procedure of Buss’ study into sexual jealousy
Laboratory experiments
Three studies:
Men and women had to select a situation that would upset them more: sexual infidelity or emotional infidelity.
Physiological responses (heart rate and galvanic skin response) were measured while the participants imagined either sexual or emotional infidelity.
Tested the effects of being in a committed sexual relationship with sexual jealousy.
what were the results of Buss’ sexual jealousy research
Results:
Men showed more of a response to sexual infidelity and women emotional infidelity.
what can be concluded from Buss’ research
supports evolutionary differences in sexual jealousy between men and women.
men have evolved to protect their partners, jealously, against impregnation by a rival.
what are some general criticisms of Buss’ research?
Strengths
Controlled and reliable
Limitations
Forced choice methodological not valid.
Demand characteristics and social desirability.
Cultural variations.
other than mates, what is another adaptive function of aggression?
for resources and territory
how is aggression in warfare adaptive
displays of aggression and bravery are the most attractive for females
what does aggression in warfare also lead to
increased status, become leaders of other males
what is a strength of the evolutionary explanation
it is able to explain gender differences
how do genders show different aggression?
Campbell (1999):
argues that women’s aggression tends to be more relational, focusing on strategies such as gossiping or social manipulation to maintain social bonds and protect kin.
In contrast, men’s aggression is more often direct and physical, linked to the evolutionary need for physical dominance to secure mates and resources.
how do these gender differences align with the evolutionary theory?
differences in aggression between genders are seen as adaptive, with men needing to be physically dominant for survival and obtaining mates and women needing to use more subtle, relational aggression to maintain kinship ties and develop a network to protect her offspring
how is this a strength of the evolutionary theory
it offers a useful framework for understanding why men and women may display different forms of aggression
however, what is a problem with this explanation being able to explain gender differences
suffers from alpha bias
how does the evolutionary explanation suffer from alpha bias
it exaggerates the differences between male and female aggression, suggesting that these differences are biologically hardwired, which may not be the case
what explanation may better explain gender differences
social learning
how does social learning avoid alpha bias
not assuming that aggression is inherently different or biologically determined between males and females.
Instead, it emphasizes the role of the environment and learning processes in shaping how aggression is expressed.
While boys and girls may be socialized to express aggression differently (i.e., physical vs. verbal), this is a result of social and cultural factors, not an essential or biological difference between the sexes
what does this mean for the evolutionary explanation?
Therefore, SLT may be a more comprehensive explanation than evolutionary theories, as it avoids alpha bias, so it recognizes that aggression can be expressed differently between genders as a result of environmental and cultural influences without relying on rigid, gendered biological assumptions.
how can the evolutionary explanation be challenged in terms of culture
suggests that aggression is universal and biologically programmed without acknowledgement of cultural differences
what is an example of cultural difference in aggression
Richard Lee (1969):
!Kung San society, aggressive behavior is rare in their society, as they emphasize social harmony and the peaceful resolution of conflict. Instead of using physical aggression, the !Kung San typically use humor, negotiation, or peaceful mediation to resolve disputes.
what does this cultural example mean for the evolutionary explanation?
challenges the idea that aggression is universally rooted in evolutionary adaptation and highlights the importance of considering cultural factors when explaining aggressive behavior by contrasting to the evolutionary perspective, which would predict that aggression would be more widespread as a survival mechanism to compete for resources or protect one’s status.
why is the evolutionary explanation limited
it cannot explain wide scale killings and aggression such as genocides
why cant the evolution approach explain genocides
primarily focuses on aggression as an adaptive trait related to competition for resources and mate selection, rather than addressing large-scale, politically driven violence
what is an example of a genocide that the evolutionary explanation cannot explain
Rwandan genocide in 1994, where an estimated 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed in just a few months.
the violence was rooted in complex socio-political factors, including ethnic hatred and political manipulation, rather than in an evolutionary drive for survival or reproductive success.
evolutionary explanations might suggest aggression is driven by competition for resources, but this framework struggles to account for the organized, widespread violence seen in genocides like the one in Rwanda.
how can the frustration-aggression hypothesis explain large scale aggression
aggression is a response to frustration when individuals or groups are blocked from achieving important goals.
in the case of the Rwandan genocide, long-standing ethnic tensions, political power struggles, and the frustration of the Hutu majority over perceived economic and social inequalities could have led to a collective sense of frustration, which was then channeled into violent aggression against the Tutsi population.
therefore, what does this mean for the evolutionary explanation
FAH theory helps explain how large-scale aggression can arise in response to systemic social and political frustrations, making it a more fitting explanation for genocides than evolutionary aggression theory.
