relationships-evolutionary explanations Flashcards
what does the evolutionary explanations for relationships suggest is the reason for attraction
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
what is anisogamy
the difference in male and female sex cells which results in different strategies for reproductive success
what can anisogamy be used to explain
inter and intra sexual selection
what is intersexual selection
strategies that females and males use to attract an opposite sex partner
what is some examples of intersexual selection
males shows good genes and resources
females show youth and fertility
describe some of the key differences between males and females
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
what is intra sexual selection
strategies that males use against other males to ensure that they are selected as a mate
why does intra sexual selection only take place between males
males desire lots of females (quantity) whereas females desire only quality male.
in intrasexual selection what qualities does a male need to ensure he can reproduce
-he needs to be physically strong as a larger male will be able to fight off his competitors for access to the females.
how does intrasexual selection explain the differences in body size between males and females
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
what is some research supporting evolutionary partner preference
-buss
-clarke and hatfield
-waynforth and dunbar
what did buss find
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
what did clarke and hatfield find
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
what did waynforth and dunbar find
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
why might evolutionary explanations for relationships no longer be prevalent
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
what is a limitation about the way that the research was carried out in buss study
measured expressed partner preference rather than real life ones.
therefore may not be valid
who suggested that a woman menstrual cycle may affect her mate choice
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
what are some debates surrounding mate choice
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
what are some debates surrounding gender about relationships
evolutionary explanations may display alpha bias however one could argue that men and women look for similar things like loyalty and kindness
