Evolutionary approach to relationships
- Created by: Saf54
- Created on: 13-02-19 16:46
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- Evolutionary explanations
- Sexual selection and human reproductive behaviour
- Anisogamy- this difference between male and female sex cells
- Male sex cells
- Produced in large quantities, quickly replenished and created continuously from puberty to old age
- Female sex cells
- A lot of energy to produce, created in limited numbers and only lasts for a number of fertile years
- Male sex cells
- Before DNA testing males weren’t sure whether the baby was actually theirs
- They’d go around impregnating as many women as possible
- Women wanted a committed relationship with somebody who has resources e.g. wealth
- Ensures the child’s survival
- David Buss (1989)
- Surveyed 10,000 adults in 33 countries
- Females universally put more importance on resources e.g. intelligence, good wealth
- Males preferred younger and emphasised their ability to reproduce e.g. attractiveness
- Surveyed 10,000 adults in 33 countries
- Anisogamy- this difference between male and female sex cells
- Inter and intra-sexual selection
- Inter-sexual selection
- “Female choice”- greater investment of time,energy and resources so need to be careful when picking a partner
- Need to make sure it’s the right genetic fit and they have the right resources to support them
- Clark and Hatfield(1989)
- Asking the same question “I’ve noticed you around the campus.i find you very attractive.will you go to bed with me tonight?”
- 75% of male students agreed but not a single female said yes
- Male and female student volunteers to approach opposite sex students on uni campus
- Asking the same question “I’ve noticed you around the campus.i find you very attractive.will you go to bed with me tonight?”
- “Female choice”- greater investment of time,energy and resources so need to be careful when picking a partner
- Intra-sexual selection
- Male strategy- competing with other males for the female mate
- Winner reproduces and passes on his successful genes e.g. strong,large male will produce stronger sons
- Difference in body size and physical appearance between male and females- physical dimorphism
- Sexual selection favours strong and aggressive males
- Females don’t need to compete so physical strength and aggression will hold no evolutionary advantage to them
- Sexual selection favours strong and aggressive males
- Male strategy- competing with other males for the female mate
- Inter-sexual selection
- Sexual selection and mate choice
- Devindra Singh(1993,2002)
- Waist to hip ratio was a sign of females fertility(big hips, slim waist)
- Measured Miss America winners and found that they’re attractive if they have a 0.7 ratio difference
- Dunbar&waynforth (1995)
- Researched “lonely hearts” in American newspapers
- Women described themselves in terms of physical attractiveness and youth (exciting,flirty,curvy)
- Men advertised their resources and intelligence more than women did
- Women described themselves in terms of physical attractiveness and youth (exciting,flirty,curvy)
- Researched “lonely hearts” in American newspapers
- Devindra Singh(1993,2002)
- Evolutionary approach
- Paternal certainty and jealousy
- Buss(1995)
- Explain difference in males and females- men are more jealous due to woman’s infidelity which could lead to raising someone else’s child
- Females are jealous of males emotional infidelity as it could chase withdrawal of resources affecting the child’s survival
- Buss (1992) : male students showed greater dustress(galvanic skin response) when asked to imagine partners sexual infidelity whilst women were more stressed about emotional infidelity
- Buss(1995)
- Sexual selection and human reproductive behaviour
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