Untitled Deck Flashcards
What is the basis of evolutionary explanations of behaviour?
Evolutionary explanations of behaviour are based on the idea that human beings seek to continue their genetic line using mechanisms of adaptation to ensure survival through reproductive success.
What does sexual selection involve?
Sexual selection involves selecting a partner who is likely to give offspring the best chance of survival and further reproduction.
What is inter-sexual selection?
Inter-sexual selection refers to the differences between males and females and how these differences manifest as attractive qualities in a mate.
Can you give an example of inter-sexual selection in animals?
Examples include the male peacock’s display of colourful feathers and the zig-zag dance performed by male sticklebacks to attract females.
How do human males display resources in inter-sexual selection?
Human males display wealth through expensive cars, houses, yachts, and watches to signal their ability to support a female and potential offspring.
What physical attributes signal fertility in human females?
Desirable attributes include a waist-to-hip ratio of 0.7, generous hips, ample bosom, and signs of good health such as long hair and clear skin.
What is female choosiness in sexual selection?
Female choosiness is the concept that females must exercise more caution when choosing a sexual partner than males.
What is anisogamy?
Anisogamy is the idea that ‘sperm is cheap; eggs are expensive,’ meaning men can produce billions of sperm daily while women produce one egg per month.
What is intra-sexual selection?
Intra-sexual selection refers to the ways in which one sex competes for the attention of the opposite sex.
What attributes are advantageous for males in intra-sexual selection?
Physical and psychological attributes include height, muscles, physical fitness, aggression, competitiveness, and risk-taking.
What did Buss (1989) find regarding partner preferences?
Buss (1989) found that females prefer male partners with resources and ambition, while males prefer younger, attractive, and fertile females.
What did Clarke & Hatfield (1989) discover in their experiment?
Clarke & Hatfield (1989) found that 75% of males agreed to ‘go to bed with’ an attractive stranger, while no females did.
What did Ronay & von Hippel (2010) find regarding male behavior?
Ronay & von Hippel (2010) found that male skateboarders took greater physical risks in the presence of an attractive female.
What is a strength of the sexual selection theory?
The theory has validity supported by research findings, such as Buss (1989), and real-world observations of mating behavior.
What is a weakness of the sexual selection theory?
The theory lacks external validity as it does not account for variations in mating preferences and is limited in applicability to LGBTQ individuals.
How does the evolutionary theory relate to the nature/nurture debate?
Evolutionary theory emphasizes innate drives, falling firmly on the side of nature in the nature/nurture debate.
What approach do evolutionary explanations of behaviour belong to?
Evolutionary explanations of behaviour reside within the Biological Approach due to their emphasis on innate drives and adaptation across generations.
