The Evolutionary Explanation Of Human Aggression Flashcards
What is the evolutionary explanation?
- An account of the changes in species over millions of years based on the idea of natural selection
- Any behaviour that enhances survival & ultimately successful reproduction is perpetuated
What is the evolutionary explanation of sexual jealousy?
- Sexual jealousy is a major motivator of aggressive behaviour in males
- Jealousy occurs because men, unlike women can never be totally sure about whether or not they are their childs parent
- This paternity uncertainty is a result of the very real threat for the male of cuckoldry
- Any investment in offspring who do not share the males genes is a waste of his resources
What is meant by ‘cuckoldry’?
- A male having to raise offspring that is not his own.
Men in our evolutionary past who could avoid cuckoldry were more reproductively successful
So psychological mechanisms have evolved to increase anti-cuckoldry behaviours in males
What are mate retention strategies?
- Wilson & Daly (1996) identified several mate retention strategies which involve aggression & even physical violence:
- Direct Guarding
- Negative Inducements
What is direct guarding & negative inducements?
- Direct Guarding:
Involves male vigilance over a partners behaviour e.g. checking who they’ve been seeing, coming home early etc - Negative Inducements:
Such as Issuing threats of dire consequences for infidelity
e.g. ‘I’ll kill myself if you leave me’
What seperate research did Wilson (1995) conduct about physical violence against partners?
- She asked women to report mate retention strategies in their partners.
- This was measured in terms of the extent to which they agreed with statements like ‘He insists on knowing who you are with & where you are at all times.’
What did Wilson find from her research?
- Women who did agree with such statements were twice as likely to have experienced physical violence at the hands of their partners
- Of these women, 73% required medical attention & 53% said they feared their lives.
This supports the view that mate retention strategies are linked to physical violence
What is the evolutionary explanation of bullying?
- Bullying occurs because of a power imbalance- a more powerful individual uses aggression deliberately & repeatedly against a weaker person
What research is there looking into male bullying?
- Volk et al (2012)
- Argues that the characterisitcs associated w bullying behaviour are attractive to females- dominance aquisition & strength
- Bullying also has benefit of warding off potential rivals
- Therefore bullying behaviour would be naturally selected because these males would have greater reproductive success
- Bullying may even benefit the bully’s health- Adolescent boys who gain a reputation for being tough are less likely to experience aggression themselves as other boys avoid contact with them.
What research has been conducted into female bullying?
- In females bullying often takes place within a relationship & is a method of controlling a partner
- Women use bullying behaviour to secure their partners fidelity, which means they continue to provide resources for future offspring
- Such behaviour would be naturally selected because of enhanced reproductive success (Campbell 1999)
Give one strength of the evolutionary theory.
- OS: The evolutionary theory can explain why males & females differ in their uses of aggression
- Lots of research to show gender differences in aggression such could be due to socialisation but also adaptive strategies
- Anne Campbell (1999)
- Argues it is not adaptive for a female w offspring to be physically aggressive as such behaviour would put herself & her child at risk
- So a more adaptive strategy for females is verbal aggression to retain a partner who provides resources
- Would explain why women tend to display verbal rather than physical aggression
Therefore such arguments can provide support for the evolutionary approach to explaining aggression
Give one limitation of the evolutionary theory.
- There are substantial cultural differences in aggressive behaviour
- There are some cultures where aggression appears to be almost non-existent
- e.g. the Kung San people of Africa where studied by Elizabeth Thomas (1958) who called them the ‘harmless people’
- She found they have very negative attitudes towards the use of aggression
- Aggressive behaviour is discouraged from childhood in both boys & girls & is therefore rare
- Those who do use it have their status & reputation within the community diminished
- Cultural & social norms powerfully constrain aggressive behaviour in this society.
