evolutionary explanations for partner choice

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  • Created by: millmona
  • Created on: 17-01-18 09:18
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  • Evolutionary explanations for partner choice.
    • Evolved adaptations.
      • A key part of this explanation would be that attractive traits are reliable indicators of a partner ability to pass on genes.
      • Singh's study supports this theory as he found that the hip to waist ratio was related to attractiveness in women. as it indicated to men, that they were able to reproduce well.
      • Singh (1993) got male participants between the ages of 18 and 22 to rank drawings of female figures with a waist ratio of 70%-100%. He found that 70% were rated the most attractive and most able to have children.
    • Sexual selection
      • Natural selection is the process where characteristics that enable an individual to be more likely to reproduce, are more prevalent within a population.
    • Relationships
    • Gender differences in partner preferences.
      • Sexual strategies theory: men and women apply different strategies for choosing partners, depending on whether it is a long or short term relationship. this helps them meet different requirements for the situation.
        • Advantages of sexual strategies: supported by Buss (1989). Also supported by Singh's waist to hip ratio.
        • Negatives of sexual strategies: lots of evidence for evolutionary explanations is based on animals, so cannot be generalised to humans. Doesn't take into account of social determinants of behaviour.
  • there are 2 types of sexual selection
    • Inter-sexual selection: males compete for the attention of a female. the female gets to choose who she prefers and then they mate.
    • Intra-sexual: males compete and the winner is rewarded with a female to mate with. females do not play an active role in the choosing of their mates.
    • Sexual selection
      • Natural selection is the process where characteristics that enable an individual to be more likely to reproduce, are more prevalent within a population.
  • Conflict between natural and sexual selection: the handicap principle:
    • The handicap principle: Zahavi (1975) suggests that a handicap to survival indicates survival strength. for example, a female peacock finds the males brightly coloured tails attractive, even thought the males risk being seen by predators, they have survived long enough to reproduce.
  • Buss found that women valued resources and men valued reproductive capacity.
    • There were a range of similar findings across different cultures but it didn't give a true picture as it was hard to include those from rural and less educated backgrounds.

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