Evolutionary explanations for partner preferences

Question 1

What is meant by natural selection?

What is meant by Adaptation?

What is meant by reproductive success?

Answer 1

• populations of living organisms adapt and change to suit their environment
• Functional, cognitive or behavioural trait that benefits an organism in its environment
• The passing of genes onto the next generation in a way that they too can pass those genes on

Question 2

What is sexual selection?

Answer 2

-Darwin’s theory came from him studying peacocks & found bigger tailed peacocks attracted more mates, giving them reproductive advantage

• competition for mates between members of the same sex
• Has an impact on the evolution of physical & psychological traits e.g. height, facial and body features

Question 3

What is Inter-sexual selection?
(6 points)

(Quality over Quantity)

What is the sexy sons hypothesis?

Answer 3

1. preferred strategy of females (quality over quantity)
2. Ova are rarer than sperm requiring greater energy to reproduce
3. females make greater investments of time, commitment before during and after birth
   - so females will choose partners wisely (food, protection, territory)
4. enhance a females reproductive success as the child will be more likely to survive
5. these resources may now be money & status as well as an ambitious male
   - this leaves males competing for the opportunity to mate
6. leads to ‘sexy sons’ hypothesis whereby the males genes will be passed onto the son
   - increases likelihood of this gene being passed onto future generations

Question 4

What is intra-sexual selection?
(5 things)

(Quantity over Quality)

Answer 4

1. Strategy of the male (quantity over quality)
2. competition between (intra) males to mate with a female
3. Winner of the competition passes off his offspring.
4. strategy has given rise to dimorphism (obvious differences between males & females)
   e.g. physical competitions between males = size matters whereas females do not compete for reproductive rights so there is no evolutionary drive for larger females

Question 5

Why do males find the most attractive Hip-waist ratio 0.70?

Answer 5

• Indicative of health & fertility
  -Low W-H-R correlates with cardiovascular health & longevity
  -Best health picture in women is found with pear-shaped women proportions

Question 6

Name 6 Male mating Strategies?

Answer 6

• Courtship rituals
• Size
• Sperm Competition
• Mate Guarding
• Sneak Copulation
• Anisogamy

Question 7

Courtship Ritual?
Sperm Competition?
Mate Guarding?
Sneak Copulation?
Anisogamy?

Answer 7

1. Showing off genetic potential & resources
2. Men evolved to have bigger testicles & faster swimming sperm
3. Keeping an eye on partners to prevent unfaithfulness
4. Being unfaithful (can benefit both parties?)
5. Leads males & females to have different strategies for maximising reproductive success, & selecting mates

Question 8

Name 3 Female mating strategies?

Answer 8

• Handicap hypothesis
• Sexy sons hypothesis
• Courtship

Question 9

Handicap hypothesis?
Sexy sons hypothesis?
Courtship?

Answer 9

• women may pick men with handicaps as it shows an ability to thrive despite their condition
• select males that are physically attractive as they will pass these traits onto their children, increasing their children reproducing
• Dating is an important strategy for females to establish a mans worth

Question 10

AO3 Research support from Buss?
(37 cultures)

Answer 10

P - Buss looked for what females look for in a marriage partner
E - looked at over 10,000 people from 37 cultures
E - results supported evolutionary explanations of sexual selection
- e.g. women want financial resources - can provide for children
- men want physical attractiveness - fertility & health
L - supports evolutionary explanation

Question 11

AO3 research support Clark & Hatfield (1982)?

• tonight
• apartment
• sleep with me

Answer 11

P - supports evolutionary explanation of sexual selection
E - study of 96 university students testing hypothesis that men are eager for sex v.s. women
- male & female confederates on average attractiveness approached potential partners with 1 of 3 requests
‘would you go out tonight’, ‘would you come to my apartment’, ‘would you sleep with me’
E - results: men were willing to have sex with the women who approached them, not one woman agreed to sex
L - supports inter & intra sexual selection

Question 12

AO3 evolutionary explanations are limited to modern society?

(financial situation)
(hook-up culture)

Answer 12

P - evolutionary explanation for partner preferences are limited as they are not conducive to modern society
E - if a woman is able to financially support herself & her children what is the necessary need for a man
E - In addition to this in modern society concept of ‘hook up culture’ is entertained by some people & so they might not conform to evolutionary explanations
L - So sexual preferences for a mate may not be an integral part of selection

Question 13

AO3 research against/for Penton-Voak (1999)?
(Menstrual cycle)

Answer 13

P - suggested females mate preferences change during the menstrual cycle
E - females preferred a partner with masculine features during their fertile period but preferred a partner with more feminised features as a long-term mate
E - may because a masculine appearance suggests suggests a healthier immune system, advantageous for off-spring (sexy-sons hypothesis)
- feminine features in a man may suggest kindness, & parental cooperation
L - this shows sexual preferences from an evolutionary perspective exist but are malleable & can be subject to change