Relationships booklet 1: Evolutionary explanations

Question 1

What are the different sections for evolutionary explanations AO1?

Answer 1

-Evolutionary explanation
-Sexual selection
-Inter-sexual selection
-Intra-sexual selection

Question 2

What is the evolutionary explanation?

Answer 2

-According to Darwin we have evolved in order to:
Natural selection: survive
Sexual selection: Reproduce
Therefore we have evolved to form relationships and choose partners which either enhance our reproductive success so we can pass on our genes or increase our chances of survival

Question 3

What is sexual selection?

Answer 3

The process by which characteristics are selected in a species because they attract the opposite sex and increase the chances of reproduction

Question 4

What did Darwin suggest about sexual selection?

Answer 4

That some bodily features and behaviours exist because they’re valued by the opposite sex, these features or behaviours may not be advantageous to survival but greatly increase likelihood of animal reproducing

Question 5

What are the two types of sexual selection?

Answer 5

Inter-sexual selection
Intra-sexual selection

Question 6

What is inter-sexual selection?

Answer 6

The evolution of traits that influence mate choice, certain characteristics are preferred by the opposite sex and individuals possessing these traits will attract more mates

Question 7

What happens to traits in inter-sexual selection?

Answer 7

They are sexually selected and passed on

Question 8

What is the sexy sons hypothesis?

Answer 8

“Sexy” traits will be passed on to offspring, which will in turn, make their children more attractive to the opposite sex so enhance their reproductive success to pass on their genes

Question 9

What are the two subsections of inter-sexual selection?

Answer 9

Reproductive Behaviour and Mate Preference

Question 10

What is reproductive behaviour?

Answer 10

The preferred reproductive behaviour of a female, since females prefer quality over quantity when it comes to reproducing.
This being because a female has a limited number of eggs, and according to Trivers a female has to invest more into the offspring

Question 11

What type of mating do women prefer?

Answer 11

Long-term mating, being with only one sexual partner and being with them for a long time

Question 12

What is mate preference?

Answer 12

As a woman has to invest more, she has more to lose if she picks the wrong partner and therefore is more pickier
A woman has therefore evolved to pick a genetically fit male who is healthy and has resources to provide for her and offspring

Question 13

What did Waynforth say about mate preference in females?

Answer 13

Women were found to prefer men with a square jaw, ridged eyebrows, small eyes and a symmetrical face

Question 14

What is intra-sexual selection?

Answer 14

Also known as fighting for dominance, members of one sex (usually males) compete with others for access to members of the opposite sex
When successful the reward is to mate with the opposite sex mate and pass on genes resulting in the desirable traits to be passed onto the next gen

Question 15

What happens to the offspring in intra-sexual selection?

Answer 15

They inherit the strength to further be able to compete with same sex members, enabling them to be more likely to mate and pass on genes

Question 16

What is reproductive behaviour in males?

Answer 16

They prefer quantity over quality, because minimal effort is required to produce enough sperm to theoretically fertilise every woman on earth, and a male doesn’t have to invest as much into offspring after birth

Question 17

What kind of mating are men likely to engage in?

Answer 17

As they don’t have to invest as much into an offspring they’re likely to take a higher number of sexual partners as this increases chance of passing on genes, they prefer short term mating and more likely to engage in casual sex

Question 18

What is mate preference like in males?

Answer 18

More likely to go for young and youthful looking women as these more likely to be fertile, Singh found that across cultures there is a preference for a WHR of 0.7, an hour glass shape.
This WHR signals that the female is past puberty and not already pregnant

Question 19

What are the evaluations of evolutionary explanations?

Answer 19

😀Evidence to support (Buss)
😀Evidence to support (Clark and Hatfield)
😀Evidence to support (Dunbar)
😥Oversimplified (not everyone wants kids)
😥Methodological problems with research into this area

Question 20

What did Buss find?

Answer 20

Asked 10,000 people from 33 countries, found that females looking for males who could financially provide and were tall, strong and healthy
Whereas males said they were looking for females younger than them, who were healthy and physically symmetrical with good WHR

Question 21

What did Clark and Hatfield find?

Answer 21

Conducted a study to investigate differences in reproductive behaviour between men and women, attractive male and female experimenters approached strangers and asked strangers for sex, found that 75% of men said yes and no woman said yes

Question 22

What did Dunbar find?

Answer 22

Conducted content analysis on lonely heart advertisements in newspapers, found that most men wanted a younger woman whilst women sought older men