Evolutionary Explanations Of Attraction

Question 0

An important time in human evolutionary history is thought to have been the period between …

Answer 0

40,000 and 10,000 years ago, during this period humans lived a hunter gatherer lifestyle. Tasks that were essential for survival were made easier for the individual who lived in a small social group.

Question 1

What does evolutionary psychology suggest

Answer 1

Behaviours we see in people today have their origins in the past and exist because they conveyed advantages to our distant ancestors.

Question 2

Who proposed the theory of natural selection

Answer 2

Darwin, according to the principle of natural selection members of a species vary in appearance (morphology)and in behaviour.

Within any environment members of a species compete for access to physical resources and shelter and attempt to avoid danger from predators

Question 3

What does natural selection propose

Answer 3

If a variation in behaviour of morphology produces an advantage in this competition, this should enable that individual to survive more successfully than those who do not possess that feature or behaviour

Question 4

What is the process of natural selection

Answer 4

Some individuals have better characteristics

These become stronger and healthier fitter

They therefore have more offspring

The next generation has a higher proportion of the better characteristics

Many many generations later the whole species has changed to the new form

Question 5

Sexual selection

Answer 5

Survival of the fittest is not just about who is the strongest, fiercest. It can be based on who is the healthiest, smartest or best looking individual that can out reproduce their competitors

Question 6

What does costly signalling mean

Answer 6

Sexually selected signals must be costly for survival. The ability of the bearer to express the signal acts as a guide to overall quality of the mate

Question 7

An observational study conducted by Lycett and Dunbar on sexual selection found that…

Answer 7

Watching and recording ways men and women used phones in cafes and cars. Women kept their phones in their bags - hidden like their fertility and the ability to reproduce.

Men placed theirs on the table in front of them displaying for the world to see - displaying their resources to everyone

Question 8

What does INTRA-SEXUAL mean

Answer 8

Takes place when members of the same sex (often males) compete for access to mates of the opposite sex in various ways including fighting

Characteristics that make a male more successful in a fight are likely to be passed to any offspring.

Question 9

What does INTER-SEXUAL selection mean

Answer 9

Occurs when members of one sex often females prefer members of the opposite sex based on certain qualities

Females may choose a mate because they appear healthy and will pass on good genes, because they will protect and help raise offspring and they find certain characteristics sexy

Question 10

There are differences in what men and women are looking for in a potential partner. What do men and women look for…

Answer 10

Men tend to compete more for access to mates and are less choose than women about qualities of the potential partner.

Women want it all, tall, good looking, kind, funny, Intelligent, wealthy, powerful mates

Question 11

What did Buss 1989 find about sexual selection and the differences in what men and women look for in a potential partner

Answer 11

Across 37 cultures, Buss found women rated having resources as more important in mate choice than men do

Men rated physical attractiveness which is an indicator of youth and fertility as more important in mate choice than women do

Question 12

Personal ads as a naturalistic way of studying mate choice

Answer 12

Can assess content of the ads posted by real people to determine, which characteristics individuals seek in a mate, the type of relationship they are seeking. Characteristics the individual uses to describe their own qualities.

Downside of using this method is unable to determine success rates. Research on speed dating could overcome this limitation

Question 13

What are the similarities between men and women’s sexual behaviour

Answer 13

Both men and women have short term relationships

Both men and women form lasting relationships in which they can produce and raise offspring

Both fall in and out of love and experience sexual jealousy

Question 14

Men tend to seek and desire greater numbers of sexual partners and more likely to use pornography or pay for sex. Buss and Schmitt study showed

Answer 14

Asking a sample of 75 men and 73 women how many partners they would ideally like over a series of time interval.

At each time interval men expressed a preference for significantly more partners

Question 15

Men tend to be much more likely to have one night stands than women. What did Clark and Hatfield find

Answer 15

A sample of attractive male and female students approached total strangers of the opposite sex and propositioned them saying I find you very attractive followed by

• would you go out with me tonight 50% both men and women
• would you come over to my apartment 69% men said yes, 6% women
• would you have sex with me 75% of men said yes , Zero said yes For women

Question 16

What are the differences in jealousy between men and women

Answer 16

Buss et al asked male and female students to imagine their current boyfriend or girlfriend having sex with someone else or in love with the, and asked which distressed them most. More women were distressed by emotional betrayal

Men were more distressed by sexual infidelity

Question 17

What does parental investment mean

Answer 17

Any investment by the parent in an individual offspring that increases the offspring chances of surviving at the cost of the parents ability to invest in other offspring

Question 18

What does Trivers central argument suggest

Answer 18

The sex who invested the most in the offspring should be more choosy and discriminating in their choice of partner and the sex who invested least should complete more vigorously with other members of the same sex for access to mates.

Question 19

Why are men different to women in terms of parental investment

Answer 19

Men have large amounts of sperm and retain fertility throughout their lives unlike women who cease to be fertile after menopause. Men are capable of many matings the only limit to the number of offspring they can produce is the number of available partners they can persuade to have sex with them

Question 20

Why is females investment in offspring substantial

Answer 20

She has a limited supply of 1 ovum per month.

Female reproductive life is shorter limiting the number of offspring she can produce

She carries the foetus for 40 weeks feeding it from her own supplies of nourishment

She has to give birth and continue to invest in the baby for many years to ensure survival

Question 21

In which animal is the role of parental investment reversed

Answer 21

Male Panamanian poison arrow frogs invest more in bringing up offspring than the female. Female frogs are large and aggressive and compete for males who are choosy

Question 22

Trivers theory can help explain why men are generally more likely to engage in short term sexual relations.

Answer 22

They require little investment and effort for males

They increase reproductive success of males

Females are less attracted as they do not display commitment in helping raise offspring

Question 23

What is a limitation of PARENTAL INVESTMENT THEORY

Answer 23

Ignores the evidence that women do engage in short term relationships

It also tells us little about homosexual relationships which are non-reproductive

Question 24

Buss and Schmitt developed an extension of Trivers theory what did they argue

Answer 24

That both men and women have short term matings as well as long term relationships. Although men generally devote more time to these than women.

Question 25

How is human mating strategic

Answer 25

Strategies are simply ways of reaching goals and solving problems in pursuit of the overall goal of reproductive success. Rather than all women seeking youth and sexual availability, SST argues that different strategies will come into play depending on the situation

Question 26

What does SEXUAL STRATEGIES THEORY say about short term mating

For men

Answer 26

Advantages to males in terms of reproductive success.

Costs: contracting a STD acquiring a poor reputation that would prevent other females from mating with them

Main problems for males in selecting female short term partners are assessing their availability and ensuring they are fertile.

Question 27

What does SEXUAL STRATEGIES THEORY say about short term mating

For women

Answer 27

Advantages for females, a fling can provide mate insurance in case her permanent mate disappears

Costs: reputation as being promiscuous

Main problem for females is identifying which short term mates would provide good genes for offspring and which could provide resources

Question 28

What does sexual strategies theory say about long term mating

MEN

Answer 28

Males face the serious problem of paternity uncertainty unless they can guarantee the faithfulness of their partner.

Crucial that the female they select will have good parenting skills to ensure survival of offspring

Question 29

What does sexual strategies theory say about long term mating

WOMEN

Answer 29

For females important to identify a potential partner who will be willing and able to supply resources to offspring

A long term mate should be healthy and supply good genes to resultant offspring

Question 30

What did Buss find when looking at the qualities men and women sought in short term mates

Answer 30

Women put high value on generosity in short term mates
Women revealed themselves as much more choosy about the quality of short term mates

Men were only bothered if their short term mate was already in a relationship

Women appear to use short term mating to assess long term mating potential otherwise it shouldn’t matter whether the intended partner is already in a relationship or promiscuous

Women were much more concerned if the man was already attached

Women viewed promiscuity as much more undesirable than men

Question 31

Who have challenged evolutionary psychologists

Answer 31

Non-procreative relationships

Question 32

What do non-procreative theory say?

Answer 32

One explanation of celibacy is that most celibate individuals have siblings and choose to invest in their nieces and nephews to maintain survival of their genes. In gay relationships people might choose to prioritise immediate rewards of sexual relationships over concerns of reproductive success. Alternatively, if homosexuality has a genetic basis, it may be that it us associated with greater reproductive success in other family members

Question 33

Explain the evolutionary perspective

Answer 33

differences in sexual behaviour can be at least partly explained by genetic differences selected by our evolutionary history.

Question 34

What are the findings of evolutionary perspectives also consistent with

Answer 34

Social role theory

Question 35

How can female choosiness be explained

Answer 35

Female choosiness Can be explained by gender role socialisation and the cultural double standard which sees casual sex as acceptable for men but not women