Psych of human sexuality Flashcards
What makes us consider people attractive?
Features/details, media influences, cultural influences, artificial influences and symmetry of faces
Name the 4 principles in evolutionary theory
Principle of variation, inheritance, adaptation (survival advantages), evolution (fitness, produce more)
State the 2 principles underlying evolutionary psychology
Proximate versus evolutionary psych (proximate = here and now, ultimate = explanations). Traits can have proximate and ultimate causes
List the 5 predictions arising from parental investment theory
Sex investing more in offspring will be more choosing about mates, sex investing least should compete more vigorously for mates, male competition leads to physical dimorphism. Competition reduces as male investment equals females. If male investment is higher, women display male characteristics
What are adaptive problems?
Face physical and social environments e.g. finding a mate, food, avoiding predation. These problems affect fitness
Are all features adaptive? If not provide examples
No, for example belly buttons are a by-product
State the 3 roles of the environment
Interactions with environmental features during development are critical for normal development. Input may be required in order to activate certain adaptive features. Developmental effects may channel individuals into 1 of several different paths.
To ensure a genes continued existence in the next generation, which factors are necessary?
Resistance mutation, make body healthy, avoid disease, make body attractive to other sex, lots of mates
Describe the involvement of interactionism
A key assumption underlying evolutionary psych is that behaviour is created by gene-environment interaction
Describe the importance of parental investment
Investment by the parent in an individual offspring that increases that offspring’s survival chances at the cost of the parent’s ability to invest in other offspring
Female mate choices include…
More colourful, conspicuous, louder, daring and aggressive individuals. Traits can impair male survival chances. Females evolved information processing biases.
List traits correlated with high male mating value (5)
Symmetry, healthy body, social dominance, trustworthy, intelligence
Name the 3 things females have evolved preferences for
Good financial prospects, higher social status, hardworking/industrious
In Townsend & Levy’s research, were women more attracted to high status/homely males or low status/attractive males?
High status/homely males
Shackelford & Larsen’s research found greater asymmetry led to what psychologically?
Self-reported depression, inferiority, physical health problems
Shackelford & Larsen’s research found great asymmetry led to what judgements about the males?
Less attractive, less emotionally stable and less intelligent
Explain the menstrual cycle influence that Penton-Voak and Kochler found
Females preferred masculine looking faces at ovulation, but less masculine faces when non-fertile. Non-pill using females rated the attractiveness of male faces varying in symmetry during menses and just before ovulation
List male mate preferences (6)
Good reproductive value, youth, breast size & shape, big hips, size/shape, facial aspects
How can fat distribution be assessed?
BY measuring waist-to-hip ratio. WHR - waist circumference divided by hip circumference.
Which 2 types of fats determine a woman’s attractiveness?
Android and gynoid fat distribution
State the typical female and male WHR
Female = 0.67-0.80. Male = 0.85-0.95
Which characteristics did women see as particularly undesirable?
Promiscuity and unfaithfulness
Which characteristics are said to determine beauty? (5)
Unwrinkled skin, bright eyes, full, red lips, glossy hair, lack of blemishes and facial hair
