Evaluation:Sexual selection and human reproductive behaviour

Advantages

• Research support for anisogamy
• Buss (1989)- surveyed over 10,000 adults in 33 countries. Consisted of questions related to age and attributes that evolutionary theory predicts is important in partner preference Found females are more likley to value resource related characteristics. Males are more likely to value reproductive capacity. This research seems to indicate mate stratergies based on ansiogamy.
• Supports mate preference.      Cross cultural, not ethnocentric.         Widespread survery
• 1989 was a long time ago.       Is it evolutionary or socialisation?
• Research support for intersexual selection
• Clark and Hatfield (1989)- demonstrated that females choosiness is a factor is heterosexual relationships.Psychology students carried out a survey on a campus. Approached people saying 'I find you very attractive. Will you go to bed with me?' No females agreed, 75% men agreed.This suggests support for evolutionary sexual selection as the females were choosier than males.
• Very subjective.     How many people were asked?      Where was the campus?
• Support from waist-hip ratio
• Evolutionary theory makes many predictions about partner preferences that can be tested empirically.One being that men prefer women who's body shape signal fertility. Singh (1993. 2002) studied waist-hip rations. It showed that the ratio was critical. Men preferred any ratio providing the waist was 0.79, to the hip. This is because it is a sign of fertility but not pregnant.

Disadvantages