evolutionary explanations of human aggression

Question 1

explain the evolutionary approach and its explanation of sexual jealousy?

Answer 1

• men cannot be sure whether they have fathered a child
• and do not want to invest time in a child thats not genetically theres (waste of resources)
• psychological mechanisms have evolved to increase anti-cuckoldry,
• aggressive strategies to retain loyalty

Question 2

name 2 retention strategies and explain them?

Answer 2

• direct guarding- vigilance over partners behaviour eg. asking where they are at ALL times
• negative inducements- issuing threats as a consequence of infidelity eg. ill kill myself if you leave

Question 3

explain procedure and findings of intimate partner violence?

Answer 3

• Todd Shakelford
• 107 couples completed different questionaries, to measure extent of parters violence in relationship
• found a strong positive correlation, between men who used retention strategies were more likely to use physical violence.

Question 4

evaluate research that supports intimate partner violence?

Answer 4

• Margo Evilson
• women who reported male retention strategies in partners were 2x likely to have suffered physical violence
• 73% needed medical attention

Question 5

evaluate a weakness of intimate partner violence research?

Answer 5

• cannot explain uxoricide
• killing a wife stops the ability to reproduce, which is the basis of the evolutionary approach as retention strategies are used to ensure reproduction

Question 6

evaluate how the explanation of gender differences are a strength of the evolutionary approach?

Answer 6

• female with baby is less aggressive as it may threaten their survival
• women are therefore verbally aggressive and have a physically aggressive partner to PROTEC them
• explains gender disputes and why women r likely to use non aggressive methods to resolve disputes

Question 7

-explain the evolutionary explanation of bullying?

Answer 7

• occurs due to power imbalance
• ancestors may have been bullied to increase survival and promote ability to reproduce and PROTEK
• bullying characteristics= dominance, strength and would be selected by females
• female bullying happens in relationship to control authority

Question 8

-evaluate how real life applications support the explanation for bullying?

Answer 8

• STRENGTH
• bullying occurs because they can gain advantages
• believed that bullying can be directed into alternative strategies eg. sports
• rugby would allow male to show strength and without bullying
• but this didn’t work and bullying was still prevalent
• anti-bullying interventions therefore need to increase the rewards for pro-social behaviour