evolutionary explanations Flashcards
MATE RETENTION AO1
Evolution works on the principles of spontanious mutations and Natural Selection.
Any quality that incr no. offspring an individual has is known as Adaptive
Aggression may be adaptive bc it incr Mate Retention
Male lacks paternal certainty ∴ if female cuckolds him, the costs are that he may end up investing time + resources in someone else’s child
If male cuckholds a female, she may lose access to resources that had previously been reserved for her.
∴ humans evolved an emotional response of jealousy when they identify a risk of Infedility
o prompts aggression.
o Feelings of aggression then instigate adaptive responses e.g vigilance / direct guarding ( male prevents the female having attachments to other males)
Additionally, due to sperm wars, males may engage in sexual coercion in an attempt to replace / compete with another man’s sperm
The Cuckhold Risk Hypothesis ∴ says they are more likely to rape a partner if the risk of infidelity is high.
RELATED RESEARCH TO MATE RETENTION
SHACKELFORD
Sample: 107 married couples who had been married less than a year
DV1 : level of violence in men
DV2: Mate guarding strategies employed
Method: Correlational study. Gave men Mate Retention questionnaire - assessed behaviour in different categories such as mate guarding. Gave women Spouse Influence questionnaire which measured the level of violence in the relationship.
Results: strong positive correlation between level of mate guarding and level of violence
TS the idea of a link between aggression and mate guarding.
CAMILLERI
Risk of partner’s infidelity predicted the likelihood of sexual coercion in men but not women.
TS cuckhold risk hypothesis bc they are trying to replace sperm of another man
DALEY
Meta analysis of 8 studies and found that 92% of jealousy killings were carried out by the male and only 8% by the female.
This can explain theory, as the evolutionary cost for men of a lack of parental certainty is bigger than the evolutionary cost for women with a lack of resources. This also suggests a relation between jealousy and aggression
- 2017 44% of murders on women committed by their partner
- Bio-deterministic implications → domestic violence and rape → justified by mate guarding
- IMP: CRIME OF PASSION → PROVICATION LAW LESSER SENTECY BC ‘LOSS OF CONTROL’
AGGRESSION TO INCR SEXUAL PARTNERS AO1
Aggression may be adaptive to attract sexual partners.
→men more aggressive to compete for resources + status ∴ more attractive to females.
→females attracted to ‘brave’ men. This might explain why men go to war…
going to war seems like it would decr. chances of survival BUT for it to be adaptive it has to be that the risks of high cost heroic bravery are outweighed by the increased chances of reproduction + survival of offspring.
KELLY + DUNBAR → females prefer brave men bc bravery is an honest indicator of good genes. Brave men more likely to Protect woman + child in danger ∴ men who appear Heroic may attract more women + this incr. their chances of procreation + Gene survival.
*Advantage for men to rape (during war i.e Vietnam) → no social cost to rape out-group women + their genes carried on
related research on AGGRESSION TO INCR SEXUAL PARTNERS
CAMPBELL et al. 1993
studied the US + found the most violent gang members had the highest status amongst their peers
TS a link between aggression + incr status. This may be adaptive as, w/ status, you have access to more resources, which could be deemed as more attractive.
FARTHING 2005
Surveyed whether men + women desired physical risk takers as partners + found only when the risks were considered ‘brave’ there was a significant advantage in mate selection. Physical risks that were not considered ‘brave’ were not an advantageous mate quality.
TS women may have evolved to select men that will protect them, but avoid men who may be violent towards them or their child.
KELLY + DUNBAR 2001
idea that bravery is rewarded is similar across many cultures,
TS it is innately adaptive, possibly because the increased chance of sexual reproduction. NATURE
AGGRESSION NATURE VS NURTURE
KELLY + DUNBAR v.s. MEAD
K+D = nature approach, suggest bravery is rewarded similarly across many cultures, TS it is innately adaptive to be aggressive, possibly because the increased chance of sexual reproduction.
BUT it can be argued that aggression is socially learnt. One study that supports this is that of Mead. She conducted an anthropological study of New Guinea tribes:
in the ARAPESH tribe both men + women peaceful + gentle
but in MUNDUGUMAR both men + women fierce + cannibalistic.
TS aggression is socially created through SLT, where behaviour is a result of what is observed.
HOWEVER, in times of war, both tribes became more aggressive, which again suggests aggression is an innate mechanism, ∴ could argue it is nature via nurture
