Relationships-The Evolutionary Approach

Question 1

How does Darwin’s evolutionary approach correlate to relationships?

Answer 1

Natural selection influences way that species change over time and become increasingly better adapted to their environment- we have got a drive in our life biologically to have children as we want to pass on genes

Question 2

How does sexual selection work?

Answer 2

-According to sexual selection, we are likely to pick somebody with traits that increase reproductive success e.g. strength, height, aggression, in men and wide hips in women

Question 3

What are the two types of sexual selection?

Answer 3

Intrasexual selection and Intersexual selection

Question 4

What is intrasexual selection?

Answer 4

Mate competition; Members of one sex (usually male) compete for females- winners get to mate and losers’ genes not passed on

Question 5

What is intersexual selection?

Answer 5

Mate choices: ‘The battle of sexes’-Preference of one sex (usually females) for members of opposite sex who possess certain qualities (height, strength etc.)

Question 6

Why are women more likely to be discriminatory to partners?

Answer 6

As consequences of mating with unsuitable partner are greater e.g. women care more about broad shoulders, height etc.

Question 7

What is supporting evidence for the relationship between sexual selection and human reproductive behaviour?

Answer 7

Clarke and Hatfield (1989)

Question 8

What is Clarke and Hatfield’s (1989) study?

Answer 8

-Male and female psychology students sent out across campus, female asked men if wanted sex and 75% said yes, whereas no women said yes- shows women were more discriminatory in choosing which men they have sex with

Question 9

What is a problem with Clarke and Hatfield’s study?

Answer 9

It lacks population validity as only contains university students so not good representation for general population

Question 10

What is further supporting evidence for intrasexual and intersexual selection?

Answer 10

Buss (1989)

Question 11

What is Buss (1989) study?

Answer 11

Went to other locations instead of just Western culture- carried out face-to-face interviews with males and females; more men than women preferred physical attractiveness and more women than men preferred good financial prospects supporting the theory of sexual selection

Question 12

What are the positives of sexual selection theory?

Answer 12

• A lot of supporting research and evidence

- Scientific research support for intrasexual and intersexual selection

Question 13

What are the negatives of sexual selection theory?

Answer 13

• Biologically determinist- we cannot use free will as all men seem to behave same way
• Lacks temporal validity e.g. men now go for older women or men look more for women financially stable than before as more women going into careers now