evolutionary explanations of partner preferences Flashcards
What is sexual selection?
Characteristics that increase reproductive success, are passed on and may become exaggerated over succeeding generations of offspring.
What is anisogamy?
The differences between male and female sex cells.
What are the male gamates (reproductive cells)?
How often are they produced?
How much energy do they require?
Size?
Sperm
Created continuously in vast numbers from puberty to old age>never ending>no shortage of fertile males!
Don’t require lot’s of energy
Extremely small
What are the female gamates (reproductive cells)?
How often are they produced?
How much energy do they require?
Size?
Eggs
Produced in intervals for limited number of fertile years>fertile females are rare
Require huge investments of energy
Relatively large
What 2 difference in mating strategies does the difference in female and male gamates lead to?
Intra-sexual selection
Inter-sexual selection
IntrA-sexual selection:
Preferred strategy of who?
What happens?
Optimum mating strategy?
Preferred startergy of mAles
Males compete with other males for a female mate
If successful, you mate and pass genes to the next generation
E.g. stronger=fight competitors>produce stronger sons
Mate with as many as possible
Inter-sexual selection:
Preferred strategy of who?
What happens?
Optimum mating strategy?
Preferred strategy of females
Attractive traits attracts members of opposite sex to mate
Females need to be careful when choosing, consequence of making the wrong choice are more serious for them (energy of children)
Mate with one genetically fit partner who can provide for you and offspring
What is physical dimorphism?
Explain
Different sexual selection strategies leads to differences in the physical appearance of males and females
Males- strong and aggressive males because they need to compete with other males
Female- no need to physically compete>no evolutionary advantage
A strength of the evolutionary explanation is that there is research support from Buss.
PETF
E: heterosexual mate selection survey, found that men preferred good looks, youth, and chastity, while women preferred dependability and good financial prospects
T: findings reflect sex differences in mate selection due to reproduction
F:
+large sample (37 countries)
- only heterosexual couples
A limitation of the evolutionary explanation is that it cannot account for all romantic relationships.
PET
E: Cannot explain the partner preferences of the LGBT community, in homosexual relationships, partner choice does not result in reproductive success, so there is no evolutionary advantage
T: Limited explanation
A strength of the evolutionary explanation is that there is support from
E: Content analysis of lonely hearts advertisements in American newspapers, found that when looking for a potential partner, women offered physical attractiveness and youth, and men offered resources.
T: Findings reflect differences in mate selection
A limitation of the evolutionary explanation is that it ignores social and culture influences
PET
E: Changes in society impact partner preferences, such as womens role in the workplace, the availability of contraception.
Psychologists did an analysis across 37 countries, and found that it was mainly women in societies where eduaction and work for females was limited who valued men with resources.
Vv women in modern societies valued humour for e.g. more than resources
T: Limited explanation
How is the evolutionary explanation reductionist?
They argue that strategies for choosing a mate is the result of genetic inheritance, and a strive for reproductive success only
How is the evolutionary explanation deterministic?
They claim that partner choice is determined by a persons gender, and that humans are attracted to people who can provide for offspring
How does the evolutionary explanation have alpha bias (differences between males and females may be overplayed)?
Males and females look for similar characteristics, such as loyalty, kindness, and such characteristics are not reported in the research, which tends to look for marked differences.
