Module 10: Love and Romantic Relationships

Question 1

What percentage of humans and birds have pair-bonding as their dominant mating system?

Answer 1

80%.

Question 2

Marriage as an institution which is found cross-culturally and supports the claim that:

Answer 2

Love is universal.

Question 3

Marriage is a mechanism which facilitates:

Answer 3

The communion of two adults, in a sexual and loving relationship for the long term and their commitment to raising their offspring.

Question 4

Do all animals and humans pair bond?

Answer 4

No. There is evidence of polyandry (multiple men with one woman) and polygyny (multiple women with one man).

Question 5

which is more common polygyny, polyandry or pair-bonding?

Answer 5

1. pair bonding
2. polygyny
3. polyandry

Question 6

What is the link between chimpanzee and human brain and testicle size with their dominant mating system?

Answer 6

Chimpanzees dominant mating system is multi-male and multi-female which involves frequent sex and competition between males to impregnate females. Thus, chimpanzee males have evolved to have brains 1/2 the size of humans and testicles x3 as large as human males do. Why? because they’re equipped to produce larger quantities of sperm at a higher quality. Evidence suggests that only 5% of chimpanzee sperm is defective whilst 25% of humans are defective.

Question 7

Do chimpanzee’s fall in love?

Answer 7

No, because they do not pair bond and according to the evolutionary theory romantic love is a mechanism which evolved to foster commitment between two adults and to their child to keep them BOTH invested in raising their offspring (rather than just the female).

Question 8

chimpanzee’s basic drives are tied to…

Answer 8

the status of their colony and engaging in sexual intercourse in order to impregnate a female and pass on their genes.

Question 9

Why would humans need the evolved adaption of romantic love and not human?

Answer 9

Human infants are much more dependent on their caregivers after birth due to their underdevelopment. Thus, romantic love needed to evolve in order for two parents to be committed to raising their offspring all the way through to sexual maturity. Without it, couples would not stay together and the infant mortality rate would be higher and risk the survival of the species as a whole.

Question 10

What three elements does Sternberg argue are vital to the development of romantic love?

Answer 10

(A) Intimacy (Liking)
(B) Passion (Infatuation)
(C) Commitment (decision)

*which elements that are
present determine what type
of love is experienced

Question 11

What are (5) types of love as shown in Sternberg’s triangular theory of love?

Answer 11

1. Consummate Love (what should be romantic love) is the presence of all three elements i.e. intimacy, passion and commitment = ideal love.
2. Romantic Love: the presence of intimacy and passion without commitment.
3. Fatuous Love: Passion and commitment without intimacy i.e., quick and firey short-term relationships.
4. Compassionate Love: Intimacy and commitment without passion i.e. long-term relationships like marriage.
5. Empty Love: Commitment without passion or intimacy i.e., unrequited love.

Question 12

Does love only have psychological changes?

Answer 12

No, love is a powerful emotion which causes physiological, psychological and behavioural changes in individuals. These can either be + or -.

i.e., love is a double-edged sword.

Question 13

What are (6) pieces of evidence which support that romantic love is an evolutionary adaption?

Answer 13

1. An evolutionary account is plausible.
2. Romantic love is universal.
3. The standard development of romantic love is tied to sexual development.
4. Sexual love shares many similarities with platonic love (mother-child love).
5. There are specific hormones such as oxytocin which are involved in all types of love and is found in other mammals.
6. The mate assessment function is deactivated once romantic love is in full blast.

Question 14

(A) Evidence that the
evolutionary perspective
of romantic love is
plausible?

Answer 14

> for it to be due to evolution it must be able to be traced back a considerable amount of time i.e., over 100,000 years.
it’s a cross-species phenomenon
humans have highly underdeveloped children which require more parental care and for a longer period of time to ensure the child reaches sexual maturity.
an example of a similar mechanism is the bond between mother-child, she feeds and protects their offspring even at the cost of their own life.

*the evolutionary perspective of romantic love argues that the platonic bond between mother and child is transferred onto the father through pair-bonding’s influence on romantic love.

Question 15

(B) Romantic love is universal

Answer 15

 Hinimoa love story in NZ 
   Maori history.
 Romeo and Juliet.
 Ethnography across cultures 
   find that almost every culture 
   has the idea of romantic 
   love, know what it is and its 
   power.
 The universality of romantic 
   love supports that love is an 
   evolved adaptation. 
   Adaptation means that it is 
   unique with its own features 
   with its own function to 
   enhance reproductive fitness 
   This refers to the extent to 
   which your genes are 
   passed on. IF you have 
   higher evolutionary fitness 
   then you will have more 
   offspring which will reach 
   adulthood.
 Darwin argues that the 
   primary function of any 
   evolutionary adaptions is to 
   pass on your genes through 
   successful reproduction and 
   child rearing.

Question 16

(C) Standard development of
romantic Love is linked to
sexual development:

Answer 16

 The developmental pathway 
   for romantic love is very 
   standardized that is linked to 
   sexual development.
 Referring to the beginning of 
   sexual desires/needs and 
   search for a mate.
 Romantic love does not 
   appear until sexual maturity 
   occurs.

Question 17

(D) Sexual Love has strong
similarities with platonic
love:

Answer 17

 We can see the power of 
   love through mother-child 
   bond which is developed to 
   ensure child is protected 
   and raised to maturity.
 Argument is that platonic 
   love developed first and 
   then it slowly evolved, in 
   some species, into romantic 
   love.
 Same-sex or heterosexual 
   relationships, love serves the 
   same function.

Similarities between platonic and romantic love:
*there are 17 in total

 Eye contact
 Horsing around (playing 
   together)
 Physical affection
 Distress on separation 
   (sensitive to their needs and 
   willing to make sacrifices for 
   them)

Question 18

There are specific hormones involved with love, such as oxytocin which Is also found in other mammals:

Answer 18

 Love is not just psychological, 
   there are specific 
   neurotransmitters and 
   hormones associated with 
   love.
 Primarily oxytocin, which is 
   the cuddle/bonding hormone 
   which is high in both male 
   and females to facilitate the 
   bonding between parent and 
   child. Oxytocin levels are high 
   when people experience a 
   rush of falling in love (platonic 
   and romantic). They feel the 
   same because the 
   neurotransmitters and 
   hormones released are 
   essentially the same.

Question 19

Sex differences in romantic relationships:

Answer 19

 For the most part, men and 
   women experience love and 
   pair bonding in the same 
   way.
 However, there are some 
   sex differences we need to 
   acknowledge.

(A) Orientations towards 
      sexual relationships in 
      general:
a. Men have more of a short- 
    term orientation to sexual 
    relationships relative to 
    women who have more of a 
    long-term orientation.
b. Women are more focused 
    on the development and 
    nurturing of the relationship.
c. Men are more focused on 
    the sexual component of 
    the relationship i.e., happy 
    to pursue a short-term 
    sexual relationship (i.e., 
    prostitution and one-night 
    stands).
d. Found cross culturally in 
    both western and hunter 
    gather cultures which 
    supports the universality of 
    these sex difference’s 
    rather than a cultural 
    difference.
e. Why is this? Tivvers argues 
    the parental investment 
    theory which is applicable 
    to humans and animals.

Question 20

The Parental Investment Theory:

Answer 20

 Linked to differences in sex 
   across species:
o Particularly that male and 
   female birds look different 
   i.e., males look more 
   “attractive” than females. 
   Why? It’s linked to the 
   amount investment that 
   each parent supplies into 
   looking after the offspring. 
   They argue the more similar 
   they look to the female 
   indicates that they have a 
   similar level of investment in 
   their child = evidence of pair 
   bond.
o If there is a lot of 
   investment, we do not see 
   very big sex differences. If 
   there is little investment, we 
   see there are big sex 
   differences. In humans there 
   is a slight difference in 
   investment in which females 
   put slightly more effort than 
   males into raising offspring 
   due to childbirth factors.
o Pair bonding process makes 
   male and female look 
   physically similar as 
   evidence of commitment 
   being established with 
   partner and the switching off 
   of the mate selection 
   process.
o Males look fancy to attract 
   the attention of a female. 
   Females are in control and 
   are looking for the most 
   attractive mate because it 
   indicates better genes. 
   Males are in competition to 
   gain the attention of a 
   female.

Question 21

Empirical Evidence of Sex Differences in Attitudes Towards Casual Sex:

Answer 21

 One of the biggest sex 
   differences you’ll find: mean 
   response for women was 
   2.8 compared to 4.8 for 
   men.
 This stereotypical view on 
   sex differences leaves out 
   that this effect is not true for 
   all men and women:
o In fact, 34% of men gave a 
   lower rating of casual sex 
   than the average women.
o Similarly, 20% of women 
   gave a higher rating on 
   causal sex then the average 
   male.
o indicating that we must be 
   cautious with sex difference 
   findings because they do 
   not apply to everyone, there 
   will always be exceptions to 
   the rule.