Sex differences in parental investment

Question 1

What is parental investment?

Answer 1

Parental investment: this is where a parent invests in an individual offspring to increase its chances
of surviving, even though it may be at the cost of other offspring.

Question 2

Maternal investment

Answer 2

Female can produce only limited number of offspring. More costly for females to have offspring as
they can only produce offspring once every 9 months. Female invest most, so they are more selective
of their offspring because they have more to lose. Females also invest more into the rearing of
offspring where the baby spends 9 months in the womb and is then dependent on mothers milk for around
2 years. Women tend to be extremely concerned about the emotional focus of a male as they may feel
they are at risk of losing resources to another female.

Question 3

Paternal investment

Answer 3

Males invest less than females, so instead they compete with other males for
reproductive opportunities. A lot of investment is in the courting stages for men because
of this. However, there is difficulty for males in determining whether a child is their own,
with there being a risk of cuckoldry, where they could potentially raise children that aren’t
their own. Men are more concerned about the female having sex with other males than
for that female to be emotionally involved with another male.

Question 4

Support for parental investment?

Answer 4

Sexual jealousy: females can reduce the burden
of providing so much for offspring by finding a
male that shows potential skills as a carer.

Study: Buss
Study: Geher et al
Study: Anderson

Question 5

STUDY: Buss

Answer 5

Gender differences supported.
Males display more distress about sexual
infidelity, where they are more afraid of their
partner cheating on them sexually.
Females experience more distress concerning
emotional infidelity as this displays lack of
male commitment of resources.

Question 6

STUDY: Geher et al

Answer 6

Males are adapted to view Themselves and behave as if they were capable fathers even when they are not in reality. They are more desirable as potential mates this way

Question 7

STUDY: Anderson

Answer 7

Men may care for step-children, but only to prove to mother that they will care for her children if they have offspring.

Question 8

Disadvantages of parental investment?

Answer 8

Generalisation :may be social issues in
assuming males are naturally promiscuous,
where the behaviour may be viewed as normal
due to its origins in nature.