relationships Flashcards
human reproductive behaviour
any behaviour which relates to the opportunity to reproduce and thereby increase the survival of our genes.
sexual selection
an evolutionary explanation of partner preference. attributes or behaviours that increase reproductive success are passed onto the next generation.
what is human reproductive behaviour
the basis of human reproductive behaviour is anisogamy. its the difference between male and female sex cells (gametes)
mating with more males doesn’t increase the females reproductive success but it does increase the males.
therefore females become more choosey about the males they mate with (inter-sexual selection)
and males compete for females (intra-sexual selection)
inter-sexual selection A01
refers to the strategies that males use to select their females, or that females use to select males.
quality over quantity is the preferred strategy of females. they seek indicators of socioeconomic status.
men prioritise physical appearance (young and attractive)
inter-sexual selection A03
strength as an explanation of human reproductive behaviour/ partner preference. evidence to support (Buss 1989)
intra-sexual selecetion A01
is withing each sex- e.g. the strategies amongst males to be selected (quantity over quality)
competition between males to be selected by a female. the winner gets to reproduce and pass on his characteristics.
this method has led to dimorphism- males and females have ended up looking very different, the average male is 15% larger than female.
also has behavioural consequences- thing that allow a man to outcompete include intelligence and aggression, this is because it can protect them and their female from competing males- this leads to aggression.
intra-sexual selection A03
parental investment A01
any investment by a parent in an offspring that increases the chance the their offspring will survive.
males have low parental investment because thy have low paternal confidence (don’t know that the child is theirs)
females have high parental investment because they are 100% certain that the child is theirs, because of this it makes sense for a woman to be choosey.
women must use their gametes wisely, men have many gametes and so can be less choosey
parental investment A03
strength- from Clark and Hatfield (1989)
sent attractive male and female psych students around campus “I’ve noticed you around, I find you very attractive, would you go to bed with me tonight?” 75% of the males approached agreed, 0% of the females students agreed.
finding suggest females are choosier than men when it comes to casual sex.
adds further support and validly to the theory of differing paternal investment.
limitation- may not be relevant to todays society.
due to changes in social attitudes, sex isn’t always linked to reproduction. its now more acceptable for women to talk openly about sex, some choose not to have kids and others choose to adopt.
limitation because findings aren’t relevant and therefore lack temporal validity.
factors affecting attraction in romantic relationships.
self-disclosure and physical attractiveness
