Sexual Selection Strategies

Question 1

What is the biggest problem for members of a sexual species?

Answer 1

Mate choice

• No species has members of the opposite sex who are equally desirable
• There are sex differences in preferences for a mate

Question 2

What is sexual strategies theory?

Answer 2

Sexual strategies theory links parental investment theory and sexual selection

Question 3

What do men look for in a short term mate?

Answer 3

• Identify fertile women
• Identify sexually available women
• Minimise investment
• Maximise number of partners

Question 4

What are the benefits for men pursuing a short term mate?

Answer 4

Direct increase in reproductive fitness

Question 5

What are the costs for men pursuing a short term mate?

Answer 5

• Conflicts with other males
• Damaging to long-term strategies
• Costly in terms of energy, resources, and time

Question 6

How do men maximise partner number

Answer 6

• Buss and Schmitt (1993) predict men evolved a desire for sexual access to many women

So we can predict:

1. Lower standards in men for short term mates compared to women
2. Men minimise delay between meeting and intercourse
3. Men will avoid short term mates requiring commitment

Question 7

What are the benefits of a short term mate for women?

Answer 7

• Indirect benefits in the form of ‘good genes’

Question 8

What are the costs of a short term mate for women?

Answer 8

• Loss of direct benefits from commitment

- Damaging to long-term strategies

Question 9

What are the benefits of womens long term strategies?

Answer 9

• Direct benefits in the form of resources

Question 10

What are the costs of womens long term strategies?

Answer 10

• Loss of indirect benefits from good genes

Question 11

What are womens preferences for a long term mate?

Answer 11

• Good financial prospects
• High social status and education
• Industriousness
• Older

Question 12

What are the benefits of mens long term strategies?

Answer 12

• Stand to attract higher quality mate

Question 13

What are the costs of mens long term strategies?

Answer 13

• possible loss of direct fitness through short term strategies

Question 14

What are the benefits of commitment for men?

Answer 14

• Can attract a higher quality mate through provision of resources
• Women might require it
• More of an increase in paternal certainty
• Increased survival of children with two parents

Question 15

What are male long-term mate preferences?

Answer 15

• Selecting most fertile mate will lead to greater reproductive success
• Reproductive value: the number of children likely to have in the future
• Evolved preferences would reflect qualities correlated with reproductive value and fertility

Question 16

What are the cues to reproductive value in women?

Answer 16

• Fertility

- Age