Evolutionary Psychology

Question 1

What is sexual selection?

Answer 1

Some characteristics survive that seem counter to survival (peacock tail) but help with sexual selection, individuals attractive = better competition, reproductive rates not random

Question 2

What is the EEA?

Answer 2

Environment of Evolutionary Adaptation: hunter gatherers, small groups

Question 3

What does the parental investment theory explain?

Answer 3

Sex differences in mating in parenting, affects strategies of getting genes into subsequent generations

Question 4

What is parental certainty?

Answer 4

Fertilisation internal so greater maternal than paternal certainty, female could be unfaithful, 4% children are not the offspring of the person they think is their father, >25% men who ask for paternity test not the father

Question 5

What is parental investment?

Answer 5

Females invest more because their number of offspring is limited, offspring survival depends on great investment, males can have more with less investment

Question 6

What is the male mating strategy?

Answer 6

Men invest more time and effort into mating, can get more genes into subsequent generations by mating with more women

Question 7

Why do men compete?

Answer 7

Compete for sexual access to women, reproductive success increases if mate with more women, genes can spread throughout species

Question 8

What is women’s parenting strategy?

Answer 8

Women invest more time/effort into parenting to ensure survival of offspring

Question 9

Why do women choose between competing mates?

Answer 9

Their reproductive success if increased by selecting suitable mate with good genes, not by mating with many males