Evolutionary Explanations of Aggression

Question 1

What are the 2 reasons for evolutionary psychologists predicting higher male aggression?

Answer 1

Infidelity/jealousy, variance in offspring

Question 2

How does infidelity/jealousy create aggression in men?

Answer 2

men not certain of paternity, high risk of cuckoldry (raising a child that’s not yours), wasted investment, men predicted more jealous of sexual infidelity, in EEA natural selection would favour actual/potential aggression

Question 3

How does variance in offspring in men create aggression?

Answer 3

higher variance in men than women, males can have many offspring if they have multiple mates or none if others have multiple mates, females lower variance, more aggression to avoid having no offspring

Question 4

Who conducted a meta analysis into aggression differences in genders?

Answer 4

Hyde 1986: effect sizes between gender aggression. Physical = 0.6, fantasies = 0.84, willingness to shock others in experiment = 0.39 so males more aggressive across range of measures

Question 5

Who conducted a cross cultural study into aggression differences in genders?

Answer 5

Daly and Wilson 1988: same sex murder rates, 35 studies, 14th-20thC, Europe, N/S America, Africa, Asia, industrialised/hunter gatherer, male on male = 96%, all 93%+ except one study 85% men

Question 6

What are the methodological strengths of the studies into gender differences in aggression?

Answer 6

Data from variety of studies, triangulated data from historical and cross cultural research, variety of samples/measures

Question 7

Explain violence towards mate as a deterrent

Answer 7

Violence/threat of deters mate from infidelity, male jealousy over actual/possible infidelity easily triggered, reduce chance female unfaithful so less cuckoldry chance

Question 8

What are the 3 studies that show evidence of domestic abuse/murder in relation to infidelity?

Answer 8

Dobash and Dobash 1984: 50% women in battered wives refuge said jealousy over alleged infidelity caused male behaviour. Guttmacher 1955: 80% spousal homicides in Baltimore motivated by infidelity jealousy. Daly and Wilson 1998: anthropological data shows sexual jealousy as universal cause for murder

Question 9

What is the evidence that violence is designed to discourage infidelity?

Answer 9

Shackleford 2005: men who were violent against their partners were also likely to show other mate retention tactics: intersexual negative inducements, direct guarding, emotional manipulation - shows violence is part of set of strategies for discoursing infidelity

Question 10

What is the practical application (IDA) of Shackleford’s 2005 study?

Answer 10

Implication for women: if these other behaviours noticed, know to leave relationship in case of violence/ get man help, but women may interpret these behaviours as a sign of ‘real’ love

Question 11

Explain sexual violence towards mate

Answer 11

Rape of partner increases probability of bearing child that is his, reduced chance of cuckoldry

Question 12

What is the evidence that sexual violence occurs?

Answer 12

Camilleri 2004: perceived infidelity was major predictor of marital rape. Goetz and Shackleford 2006: sexual coercion more common if male believed partner was unfaithful, these women reported they were more likely to have been unfaithful

Question 13

What does the findings of the sexual violence studies indicate?

Answer 13

Men have an over-sensitive infidelity detection module - in the EEA it would be more adaptive to spot infidelity when it didn’t occur than miss it when it did occur

Question 14

Explain violence towards men as a deterrent

Answer 14

Actual/potential violence against other men deters them from attempting to seduce his mate, decreased chance of being a cuckold

Question 15

What is the evidence that men kill sexual rivals?

Answer 15

Daly and Wilson 1998: evidence from studies of love triangle homicides from Western/anthropological samples. Men more likely to kill than females are, mode committed by men 100%

Question 16

What are the main motives for murder?

Answer 16

Daly and Wilson review: male jealousy of infidelity was in top 3 of motives across a range of societies

Question 17

Explain status as an explanation of male aggression

Answer 17

high status important in EEA, survival/reproduction linked to status, good hunters/fighters beat rivals, get resources, attract and protect mates, low status males risk not reproducing, without resources use violence to attract, male compete most when 18-25, expect highest murder rates in this age category

Question 18

What is an altercation of relatively trivial origin?

Answer 18

one of most common categories police list as murder motives, small disputes that escalate into violence, more common in lower status males, preserve/enhance status, usually involve suggestion of disrespect

Question 19

What is the evidence to show status influences aggression?

Answer 19

Li and Kendrick: anthropological evidence shows high status males more desirable mates = more offspring. Daly and Wilson 1985: 41% males causing homicides and 43% victims were unemployed (11% at time)

Question 20

How is status and violence related to social and economic inequality?

Answer 20

stakes are higher in unequal societies, much lower status = lower chance of reproduction, women more attracted to males with more resources, unequal societies have more violent crime, murder, etc.

Question 21

What is the correlation between income inequality and homicide rates?

Answer 21

0.47 between nations, 0.42 between US states

Question 22

What are the political implications of findings into inequality, status and aggression? IDA

Answer 22

new type of polygyny arises where wealthy men have mistresses because women think its better to be the second wife of a wealthy man than the first of a low status man, important goal for social policy: minimise inequality, more equal society = less violent crime