Parental Investment Flashcards
What differences does the theory suggest about the mothers and the fathers investment
Mothers invest more in their children due to only being able to produce limited offspring
Whereas fathers are less interested as they have unlimited capacity
What does Trivers theory of parental investment suggest about why parents invest in their offspring
Increases their chance of survival
Why do women invest more in offspring
Limited supplies- one a month
Shorted repro life
Only has limited offspring that she can produce therefor they’re more special and she is more dedicated to aiding their survival
Investment before birth-invests a lot into unborn feotus carries it for 40 weeks and feeds it with her own supplies
Investment after birth-even after birth baby is still completely dependant on their mother for mild.
Why may males invest less
Male is aiming to increase repro success by mating with many female partners.
Male is fertile for much longer due to large amounts of sperm and he is more focused on finding new mates than investing in offspring
Paternal certainty- in last men could never be sure of paternal certainty and risk of cuckoldry was high
More reluctant to invest in a child due to risk
Research into paternal investment
Pollett
Geher
Brase
What did Pollett
Assessed differences in investment with paternal and maternal grandparents in frequency of contact/gifts/ financial benefits given
6469 ppts from millennium cohort study
Only used ppts where all 4 grandparents alive
Computer assessed interview asked how often grandparent had contact and if financial help/gifts given in what form value
Showed maternal had more contact and gave wider range of financial support
What did geher do
91 undergrads not parents from state uni of NY
Parental investment questionnaire to assess how they think they would parent
No diffs in males and females
Then exposed to statements where parenting seen as costly
ANS functioning measured whilst reading scenarios
Males has a higher ans arousal
What did Brase do
Males who demonstrate positive cues towards parental investment were rated more attractive by females
Evaluation of parental investment
Too simplistic Ignores how men do help with child care Cannot explain neonaticide Can explain why men engage in more short term sexual relationships Contradictory research
Why is research into parental investment contradictory
Andersson assessed investments of fathers in college education of bio children and step children
Found investment a were higher when father lives with the bio mother but otherwise investments were same in bio and step children
Who is the parental investment theory too simplistic
Women may be socialised into being caring
