Relationships Retrieval Questions 1 Flashcards
Why is the research into evolutionary explanations of partner preference biologically deterministic?
-dictates that all men are programmed to want lots of sexual partners/uncommitted relationships
-ignores ability for men to choose behaviour
-some men settle down/maintain monogamous committed relationship
Explain 3 findings of Clarke and Hatfield’s study
1)men more likely say yes when asked if they would have sex (75% vs 0%)
2)equal numbers of each gender said yes to date (50% each)
3)more men said yes to going to flat (69% vs 6%)
What is intra-sexual selection?
-mate competition
-men compete for access to female
-winner will mate and pass on genes
Give 3 ways in which male and female sex cells differ
1)sperm produced in large quantities, egg limited
2)sperm requires little effort to produce, egg requires lots of effort
3)sperm produced continuously, eggs produced over certain number of fertile years
What has research by Kasser & Sharma (1999) showed about how mate choice is affected by culture/social factors?
-females mostly valued mate with resources in societies where women’s access to education and workplace was severely limited
-shows role of cultural/social factors in mate choice
What is meant by term anisogamy?
The difference between the male and female sex cells
What is inter-sexual selection?
-mate choice
-often strategy used by women
-men chosen for certain characteristics that can be passed onto son and preferences for that trait can be passed on to daughters
Explain the 5 findings from the research by Buss (2 needed)
1)men rated ideal age of women (25) was younger than women
2)women placed more importance in financial resources than men
3)men prioritised physical attractiveness more than women did
4)women were looking for males who were ambitious and resourceful
5)results were the same across cultures
Which gender is more likely to want a higher number of sexual partners according to evolutionary theory?
Men
Explain 2 weaknesses of the sample used by Buss
1)Not all people could have taken part only those who could read and write and were based where the research was conducted
2)cannot be generalised to the whole population (10,000 sample size does not reflect the 8 billion people worldwide)
How has anisogamy led to differences in reproducing behaviours?
-Males want polygamy to enhance their reproductive success
-Males look for fertile women who are young, healthy, attractive and have childbearing hips
-Women want monogamy
-Women look for the best quality male so carefully select a mate based on what they can offer
Explain a weakness of Buss’s study in terms of asking for what they prefer in a partner?
-Partner preference does not always mean they will end up with that in real life
-A man may prefer a 25 year old but might struggle to find someone who is willing to enter a relationship with them at that age
What type of sexual selection can you link Clarke and Hatfield’s research to?
Inter-sexual selection (mate choice)
Why is the research into evolutionary explanation of partner preference socially sensitive?
-reinforces the sexual double standard in society
-okay for men to sleep with a large number of partners but women are shamed and criticised
-can lead to discrimination against women
Which relationships does evolutionary explanation not apply to?
Homosexual relationships
