Lecture 6 Flashcards
What is the median distance in the US associated with finding a mate?
177km
What’s the correlation between socioeconomic status and finding a mate?
0.6
What’s the correlation between age and finding a mate?
0.8 (young couples only)
What’s the percentage of people finding a mate who believe in the same religion?
79.4%
What influences all of the factors in finding a mate?
Online dating
What is natural selection?
Characteristics that enhance or at least do not detract from an individual’s chance of survival
What is sexual selection?
Characteristics that enhance or at least do not detract from an individual’s chance of reproducing
What is intrasexual selection?
Competition for mates within the same sex
What is intersexual selection?
Development of characteristics that are attractive to the opposite sex
What are the three levels of preference?
Those shared by most individuals
Those that vary according to sex
Those that vary amongst individuals
What is the aim of reproduction?
To produce as many surviving offspring as possible
What is the R strategy?
To produce as many offspring as possible with minimal parental investment
What are characteristics of the R strategy?
Unstable environment, density independent, small size of organism, energy used to make each individual is low, many offspring are produced, early maturity, short life expectancy, individual only reproduces once, type 3 survivorship in which most of individuals die within a short time but a few live much longer EG. FISH
What is K strategy?
To produce few offspring, each demanding a high degree of parental investment
What are the characteristics of the K strategy?
Stable environment, density dependent interactions, large size of organism, energy used to make each individual is high, few offspring are produced, late maturity, often after a prolonged period of parental care, long life expectancy, individuals can reproduce more than once in lifetime, type 1 or 2 survivorship in which most individuals live near to maximum life span
The costs of reproduction are…
Asymmetric - men can be limited to just sperm and women much higher costs
To what should female sexual selection be directed towards?
Towards males who show a willingness to provide resources related to reproduction eg. a willingness to share food and shelter and to provide territory and protection
What are the benefits to females?
Immediate material advantage
Enhanced reproductive advantage for offspring through acquired resources
Genetic reproductive advantage, if qualities associated with resource acquisition are fully or partly heritable
With what is residual reproductive value associated?
Age
What are signs of fertility dependent on?
Physical appearance (eg. skin, muscle tone, lustrous hair) and behavioural indicators of youth (eg. high energy levels, gait)
What’s one of the differences between young and old people?
The way they walk
What do high heels do?
They force the spine into an even more curved position so breasts and buttocks are forced to protrude more
How are preferred characteristics ordered for men (in females)?
Kind and Understanding Intelligence Physical attractiveness Personality Good health Adaptability Creativity Desire for Children
How are preferred characteristics ordered for women (in males)?
Kind and Understanding Intelligence Exciting personality Good health Adaptability Physical attractiveness Creativity Good earning capacity
What is the importance of financial prospects for men and women?
Males - 0.67
Females - 1.16
What is the importance of ambition and industry for men and women?
Males - 1.15
Females - 1.59
What is the importance of good looks for men and women?
Males - 2.22
Females - 1.36
What is the importance of age difference for men and women?
Males = -1.92
Females = +2.58 yrs
Universal age difference of 2 years (D.M Buss)
What tactics do women have for attracting mates?
Display resources Brag about resources Act provocative Flirt Wear Makeup Grooming Alter appearance Act coy
What tactics do men have for attracting mates?
Flash money around Important at work Act sexy and interested Encouraging glances To accentuate looks Clean hair and teeth Tan, diet etc Play hard to get
Who released a paper in 1995?
Christenfeld and Hill
What did C and H they publish?
A paper that suggested at one year of age, infants resemble their fathers more than their mothers
Why would evolution have produced this suggestion that C and H proposed?
Because it would ensure male parental resources, since the paternity of the infant would no longer be in doubt
Is C and H’s proposal true or false?
False
What other factors should men also select for?
Cues in females which signal future fidelity
To ensure that their resource investments are directed towards their own offspring and not those of other males
Exhibit mate guarding strategies (jealousy)
Is it important to men and women that their partner still has their virginity?
Males - 0.46
Females - 0.49
3 - indispensable
What percentage of men and women would ‘certainly’ have casual sex?
Men - about 20%
Women - less then 10% of those asked
What percentage of men and women would ‘probably’ have casual sex?
Men - 30%
Women - about 15%
What percentage of men and women would ‘probably not’ have casual sex?
Men - nearly 40%
Women - 35%
What percentage of men and women would ‘certainly not’ have casual sex?
Men - 20%
Women - over 75%
In life, how many sexual partners do men and women desire on average?
Men - 18
Women - 5
After one hour, what is the probability of men and women consenting to sex?
Men - -1.3 about
Women - -3
What’s the closing time phenomenon?
The closer it gets to a bar’s closing time, the attractiveness of opposite sex goes up
What is the attractiveness level at midnight for men and women?
Women’s attraction to men - 5.8
Men’s attraction to women - nearly 7
Do men or women have a higher minimum acceptable earning capacity?
Women - at marriage it hits 67/8%
Men - at marriage hits 43%
What are the Uk divorce rates?
50%
Mean duration of marriage?
8.9 years
Of those who aren’t divorced, what percentage of men and women admit to infidelity?
Men - 70%
Women - 60%
