Evolutionary Explanations of Aggression

Question 1

What is sexual jealousy?

Answer 1

A technique used by males to prevent a woman from cheating on them.

Question 2

What is cuckoldry?
What are the evolutionary disadvantages of this?

Answer 2

The risk that men may end up raising another mans children, as they can never prove that a child is definitely theirs. This means another mans genes become more widespread in the population while his own genes are less widespread.

Question 3

Define mate retention strategies?

Answer 3

Techniques used by males to deter females from cheating

Question 4

Name 2 mate retention strategies.

Answer 4

Direct guarding
Negative Inducements

Question 5

What is direct guarding?

Answer 5

Monitoring their partners whereabouts and ensuring they are where they say they are to prevent cheating

Question 6

What are negative inducements?

Answer 6

Threats to deter their partner from cheating that nay have severe consequences

Question 7

What is the evolutionary cause of bullying?

Answer 7

Help to show dominance, strength, ability to gain resources and increase opportunities for reproduction.

Question 7

Why does bullying happen?

Answer 7

Occurs due to a power imbalance, where stronger people use aggression towards weaker individuals to their advantage.

Question 8

Why do females use bullying?

Answer 8

Females bully their partners to secure their fidelity so that they can continue to provide resources for their offspring.

Question 9

Why do males use bullying?

Answer 9

Males bully other males to show that they are the stronger, more dominant one and to ensure they will get resources/females.

Question 10

Why is male bullying advantageous?

Answer 10

Male bullying is often advantageous as it shows males who is the strongest and who to avoid

Question 11

Explain the benefit of bullying leading to murder.

Answer 11

Eliminates competition from rival males.

Question 12

Explain the strength of evolutionary explanations accounting for the differences in male and female uses of aggression.
Why is it not an adaptive strategy for females to be physically aggressive?
Explain why verbal aggression may be more adaptive for females.

Answer 12

Lots of research shows that there are gender differences in aggression. Such differences could be due to socialization but some can be explained in terms of adaptive strategies. For example, Campbell argues that it is not adaptive for a female with offspring to be physically aggressive because such behaviour would put her own and her child’s survival at risk. So a more adaptive strategy for females is to use verbal aggression to retain a partner who provides resources. This explains why women display verbal rather than physical aggression. Therefore, such arguments provide support for this approach.

Question 13

Explain the strength that the evolutionary explanation can be used to reduce bullying.
Why do we address a bullies deficiencies when trying to reduce their bullying?
What did Ellis suggest was an alternative cause of bullying?
What are the aims of antibullying interventions in schools and how do they reduce bullying?

Answer 13

One approach to reducing bullying is address a bully’s perceived deficiencies (assuming that they bully because they feel inferior). However, although there are several interventions based on this assumption, bullying is still prevalent. Ellis suggested an alternative strategy based on the view that bullying is adaptive. The meaningful roles antibullying intervention aims to increase the limitations of bullying and the rewards of prosocial alternatives. For example, by giving bullies roles and responsibilities in school that provide an alternative source of status. Therefore, viewing bullying as an adaptive behaviour may lead to more effective anti-bullying intervention.

Question 14

Explain the limitation of the evolutionary explanation being determinist.
What does the evolutionary explanation say behaviour is caused by?
Does this stance suggest aggression is our fault or not?
How might humanistic psychologists describe the cause of aggression? Research into what has supported this?
What type of approach should we consider when looking at the cause of aggression?

Answer 14

The evolutionary approach to explaining aggression is biologically deterministic as it assumes that male and female aggression is a result of genetics. We are aggressive because of adaptations that increased the survival chances of our ancestors. This implies that aggression is inevitable and is not our fault. However, humanistic psychologists argue that aggression is subject to us exercising free will. Also, cognitive factors allow us to think about the consequences of our behaviour. This is supported by research into cultural differences. So aggression Is not inevitable and is always our own responsibility. This suggests that we should consider an interactionist approach when studying aggression

Question 15

Explain the limitation of cultural differences in aggression.
What was another name for the !Kung san?
What attitudes did the kung san have towards aggression?
What happens to people in the Kung san if they are aggressive?
On the other hand, which crime did researchers find high rates of in this group?
What type of bias might the original researchers have shown?

Answer 15

For example, the !Kung san people were studies by an anthropologist who called them the harmless people. She found they had very negative attitudes towards aggression and it is discouraged from childhood, making it rare. Those who do use it have their reputation within the community diminished, showing the power these cultural and social norms have in society. On the other hand, additional research has found high homicide rates in this ‘peaceful’ culture. These contradictions in findings may be due to observer bias, therefore research may lack validity.