Paper 3 - Relationships Flashcards
What is anisogamy
The differences between the Male and female sex cells (gametes)
What is the differences between male and female sex cells
Make cells are very small and mobile and continuously produce from puberty to old age and don’t require a great expenditure of energy to produce. whereas female cells (ova) are larger, static and produced at intervals for a limited number of years and require a huge investment of energy
What are the consequences of anisogamy
There are plenty of fertile males but fewer females and this gives rise to different mating strategies
What is inter-sexual selection
The selection of mates between sexes e.g females selecting males or males selecting females
Why does it pay for a female to be especially choosy in terms of inter-sexual selection
The female makes a greater investment of time, commitment and other resources before, during and after the birth of her offspring so it’s more crucial that females are choosy in terms of a mates reproductive fitness than it is for males.
What kind of Male do females seek in terms of inter-sexual selection
One who will provide healthy offspring but who will support them with resources
What is the runaway process
The preference of both sexes determine which attributes are passed in. For example, if height is a genuine marker of fitness in males, the females who choose the tallest mates will have greater reproductive success. Their innate preference for tallness is passed on to their daughters who choose the tallest men and are more reproductively successful. Over time this leads to taller and taller men being selected. I
What is infra-sexual selection
Competition between individuals of the same sex for mates.
In intra-sexual selection why do males have to complete for mates
Because females are a limited resource and are choosy. The males who compete successfully are able to pass on their genes to the next generation and therefore those traits that led to their success are perpetuated.
What is human reproductive behaviour
This refers to any behaviours which relate to opportunities to reproduce and thereby increase the survival chances of our genes. It includes the evolutionary mechanism underlying our parter preferences, such as mate choice and mate competition
What patterns of human reproductive behaviour does intra-sexual selection pressures lead to
Male aggression.
Male reference for youthful and fertile women.
Male desire to optimise mating chances.
What is Male aggression
Makes who act aggressively may be more likely to succeed in mating as they are more likely to win a competition with another Male
Why do male prefer youthful and fertile women
Such characteristics are a better guarantee of reproductive success. Therefore the genes of those males with such innate preferences are more likely to be represented in the next generation, making this a successful reproduction strategy
How do males desire to optimise mating chances
By fertilising as many females as possible also ensures the passage of such preference genes to the next generation.
What is sexual selection
An evolutionary explanation of partner preference. Attributes or behaviours that increase reproductive success are passed on and may become exaggerated over succeeding generations of offspring
4 strengths of sexual selection and human reproductive behaviour
support for relationship between intra-sexual selection and human reproductive behaviour. BUSS surveyed over 10,000 adults in 33 countries asking about partner preferences. Found that female respondents placed greater value on resource-related characteristics than males did e.g ambition whereas Male value reproductive capacity e.g youth. This supports sex differences due to anisogamy and partner preferences derived from sexual selection theory. And the findings can be applied across many cultures.
Further support for the relationship between inter-sexual selection and HRB. CLARK and HATFIELD sent students onto campus to approach other students with this question: ‘I have been noticing you around campus. I find you to be very attractive. Would you go to bed with me tonight?’. No female students agreed but 75% of males did. Supports the suggestion that female choosiness is a reality and males have evolved a different strategy to ensure their reproductive success.
Support from waist-hip ratio research. SINGH measured WHR preferences of males for females. This findings were that any hip and waist size can be attractive as long as the ratio of one to the other is 0.7. This is higher to signify that the female is fertile but not currently pregnant. This shows that evolutionary factors are reflected in patterns of human reproductive behaviour through partner preferences.
Support for the relationship between sexual selection and human reproductive behaviour. In Lonely hearts advertisements that asked for men and women to describe the qualities they desired in a potential partner, while cataloging what they had to offer. It was found that women more than men tended to offer physical attractiveness and indicators of youth (flirty, curvy, sexy) and sought resources. men offered resources more than woman (successful, mature, ambitious) and sought relative youth and physical attractiveness. These finding support the evolutionary suggests that women will seek resources whilst men are more focused on signs of reproductive fitness.
Limitation of sexual selection and human reproductive behaviour
Ignores social and cultural influences. Partner preferences have impacted over time by changing social norms and cultural practices and have occurred too rapidly to be explained in evolutionary terms. CHANG report than some preferences have changed and others have remained the same over 25 years in China. This suggests that both evolutionary and cultural influences must be taken into account when explaining human reproductive behaviour.
What are the three factors affecting attraction
Self disclosure
Physical attractiveness
Filter theory
What is self-disclosure
Revealing personal information about yourself. Romantic partners reveal more about their true selves as their relationship develops. These self-disclosures about ones deepest thoughts and feeling can strengthen a romantic bond when used appropriately
Who came up with the social penetration theory
ALTMAN and TAYLOR
What is the social penetration theory
Theory of how relationships develop through the gradual process of revealing your inner self to someone else and of giving away your deepest thoughts and feelings. The process of increasingly disclosure allows a partner to ‘penetrate’ into the other persons life which leads to an increasing understanding of the other partner and development in relationships.
What does social penetration theory suggest
That when a partner reveals personal information they display trust and that development of the relationship requires the other partner to reveal sensitive information.
According to social penetration theory, what does a recognition that a partner is willing to reveal sensitive information about themselves indicate
That the relationship has reached a certain developmental stage
What are key according to social penetration theory
Both breadth and depth of self-disclosure