FE5

Question 1

Provide an ultimate explanation for why men are more likely than women to be involved in lethal violence

Answer 1

• Because the variants for reproductive success in men and women are different, so men would take the risk of being violent to assert their dominance and be good mates. Women have better reproductive success if they survive longer

Question 2

It is possible that human male psychology includes mechanisms that facultatively adjust the propensity toward violence as a function of social circumstances. All else being equal, how would you expect homicide rates to differ between a society characterized by polygynous marriage and a society characterized by lifelong monogamous marriage? Provide an ultimate explanation to accompany your response

Answer 2

• There would be more violence in polygynous societies because they would be competing for mates.
• To maximize offspring production. Males want greater access to mates. Want higher reproductive success.
• Monogamous society has same chances of reproductive success

Question 3

Because societies differ on many dimensions (and hence “all else being equal” rarely applies), in reality, it is difficult to empirically investigate the questions posed in (b). However, another avenue for investigating the proposal that the male propensity toward violence is facultatively adjusted as a function of social circumstances involves differences between societies in the level of social inequality. Explain how social inequality affects homicide rates, and provide an ultimate explanation for this pattern.

Answer 3

• Higher up people have greater access to mates because they’re already dominant; versus the younger will partake in greater risk-taking will lead to homicides.
• More competition at the bottom than the top.

Question 4

Young men often take more recreational (i.e., non-instrumental) risks when observers are present then would be optimal to impress young women. Provide an ultimate explanation for this pattern.

Answer 4

• Intrasexual competition. Have to assert male dominance—observers are other men and then they can assert dominance and as a potential ally that other men would want to be around.

Question 5

Married men engage in less risk-taking, and are involved in fewer homicides, than unmarried men. Two possible proximate explanations for this pattern were discussed in the course.
i) Describe these two proximate explanations

Answer 5

• Testosterone level decreases