relationships-evolutionary explanations

Question 1

what does the evolutionary explanations for relationships suggest is the reason for attraction

Answer 1

characteristics that increase reproductive success are passed onto the next generation
such characteristics make an individual more attractive to the opposite sex so they have a reproductive advantage

Question 2

what is anisogamy

Answer 2

the difference in male and female sex cells which results in different strategies for reproductive success

Question 3

what can anisogamy be used to explain

Answer 3

inter and intra sexual selection

Question 4

what is intersexual selection

Answer 4

strategies that females and males use to attract an opposite sex partner

Question 5

what is some examples of intersexual selection

Answer 5

males shows good genes and resources
females show youth and fertility

Question 6

describe some of the key differences between males and females

Answer 6

a key feature is females choosiness
-females only ovulate once a month whereas males produces billions of sperm
-females may become pregnant so they need to pick a genetically fit partner who will provide resources

Question 7

what is intra sexual selection

Answer 7

strategies that males use against other males to ensure that they are selected as a mate

Question 8

why does intra sexual selection only take place between males

Answer 8

males desire lots of females (quantity) whereas females desire only quality male.

Question 9

in intrasexual selection what qualities does a male need to ensure he can reproduce

Answer 9

-he needs to be physically strong as a larger male will be able to fight off his competitors for access to the females.

Question 10

how does intrasexual selection explain the differences in body size between males and females

Answer 10

the difference in physical appearance between males and females are known as physical dimorphism
sexual selection favors physically strong and aggressive males as males need to compete for females
however females don’t need to compete with other females so there is no evolutionary advantage for females to be stronger

Question 11

what is some research supporting evolutionary partner preference

Answer 11

-buss
-clarke and hatfield
-waynforth and dunbar

Question 12

what did buss find

Answer 12

a cross-cultural survey conducted over 33 countries which found that females prefer male partners who have resources and traits such as ambition whereas males prefer younger female partners who are attractive and fertile

Question 13

what did clarke and hatfield find

Answer 13

a field experiment in which female and male students were asked to ‘go to bed with’ an opposite-sex stranger 75% of the males said yes to this request; not one of the females did

this adds credibility to intersexual selection as is shows females are more choosy and selective

Question 14

what did waynforth and dunbar find

Answer 14

in a lonely heart column in america he found that females described themsleves in terms of physical attrativeness and youth
wheras males described themsleves in terms of resources and intelligance

Question 15

why might evolutionary explanations for relationships no longer be prevalent

Answer 15

there has been significant societal changes in terms of womens rights
kasser and sharma found that females valued a mate with resources where womens access to education was severly limited
-however women in modern society can often provide themselves with resources so may look for other things eg-having a sense of humour

Question 16

what is a limitation about the way that the research was carried out in buss study

Answer 16

measured expressed partner preference rather than real life ones.
therefore may not be valid

Question 17

who suggested that a woman menstrual cycle may affect her mate choice

Answer 17

penton-voak
he found when women were ovulating they preferred a partner with strongly expressed masculine appearance perhaps as this suggests a healthier immune system which would be advantageous to pass onto offspring
however in the long term they preferred a man with feminine features as it suggests kindness which are more desirable in a long term partner

Question 18

what are some debates surrounding mate choice

Answer 18

evolutionary reductionism
reduces complex behaviours like choosing a mate down to genetics
-fails to acknowledge things like individual differences for playing a role in partner preference
-fails to acknowledge homosexual relationships where choice of partner doesn’t have a reproductive advantage

Question 19

what are some debates surrounding gender about relationships

Answer 19

evolutionary explanations may display alpha bias however one could argue that men and women look for similar things like loyalty and kindness