RELATIONSHIPS - Evolutionary Explanations Flashcards
According to evolutionary psychology, what are partner preferences driven by?
sexual selection
sexual selection
both males and females choose partners in order to
maximise their chances of reproductive success
What are the consequences of maximising reproductive success?
Individuals with traits that maximise reproductive success (e.g. strength, height, aggression, wide hips etc.) are more likely to survive and pass on the genes responsible for their success
Difference between male and female gametes (technical term)
anisogamy
What are the differences between male and female gametes?
- Sperm cells can reproduce quickly and plentifully with little energy expenditure
- Eggs are much less plentiful and require far more energy to reproduce
What arises between males and females as a result of anisogamy?
Males and females use distict strategies to choose a partner
Males and females use which types of sexual selection?
Male = intra-sexual selection
Female = inter-sexual selection
Intra-sexual selection
where members of one sex (usually male) compete
with one another for access to the other sex
Intra-sexual selection leads to male-female dimorphism; what is this?
accentuation of secondary sexual characteristics in those
with greater reproductive fitness.
According to anisogamy, what is the best evolutionary strategy for males?
a male’s best evolutionary strategy is to have as many partners as possible. Males must compete with other males to present themselves as the most attractive mate to fertile female partners.
What is mate guarding and why does this occur?
Males might engage in mate guarding where they guard their female partner to prevent them mating with anyone else. Males are very fearful of having to raise another man’s child, this is called cuckoldry
Inter-sexual selection
where members of one sex (usually female) choose from available prospective mates (usually males) according to attractiveness
According to anisogamy, what is the best evolutionary strategy for females?
be selective when choosing a partner. Females will tend to seek a male who displays characteristics of physical health, high status, and resources. Thus the male partner is able to protect them and provide for their children.
Points of evaluation for the evolutionary approach of partner preferences
• Cross-cultural validity (Buss survey)
• Deterministic and little free will over partner choices
• Clark and Hatfield male and female student proposition study
• Homosexuality and cultural variations
Cross-cultural validity (Buss survey) evaluation point Evolutionary Explanation for partner preferences
• Survey conducted of over 10,000 adults
• Across 33 countries
• Found that females valued resource-based characteristics in a partner
• And that males valued good looks and preferred younger partners
• Demonstrates cross cultural validity
Deterministic and little free will over partner choices evaluation point Evolutionary Explanation for partner preferences
• Exclusionary explanation is deterministic
• Therefore suggests we have little free will in partner choice
• Everyday experience tells us this is very much not the case
• We have some control over our partner preferences.
Clark and Hatfield male and female student proposition study evaluation point Evolutionary explanation for partner preferences
• Male and female psychology students asked to approach fellow students of Florida State Univeristy
• Had to ask them to go on a date, go back to their apartment or to sleep with them
• 50% of both men and women agreed to the date
• 0% of women agreed to sleep with the man vs 75% of men agreed
Homosexuality and cultural variations evaluation point Evolutionary explanation for partner preferences
• Evolutionary theory cannot explain homosexual relationships
• Cannot explain cultural variations in relationships e.g. arranged marriages
• Thus it cannot be used exclusively as an explanation for partner preferences
