relationships

• Evolutionary explanations - sexual selection - anisogamy

  Differences between male and female sex cells (sperm and egg) which give different mating strategies
• Evolutionary explanations - sexual selection - intersexual selection - preferred mating strategy for the female

  ‘Quality over quantity’ means females prefer to be choosier and look for more resources because consequences of a bad choice are more critical for her
• Evolutionary explanations - sexual selection - inter-sexual selection - sexy sons hypothesis

  female preferences for a genetically 'fit' male ensures that desirable characteristics (eg, height) are inherited by male offspring and propagated.
• evolutionary explanations - sexual selection - intra-sexual selection - preferred mating strategy of the male

  'quantity over quality' means males tend to compete with as many females as possible, driving physical and psychological differences between males and females. (dismorphism) Males are sensitive to indicators of youth and fertility in females because this suits their optimum mating strategy.
• evolutionary explanations - sexual selection

  ability to attract/find a mate and reproduce successfully. attributes and behaviours that increase reproductive success are passed on.
• evolutionary explanations - natural selection

  the ability to survive in a particular environment
• evolutionary explanations - sexual dismorphism

  difference in form between male and females of the species. (eg, male birds are usually more colourful).
• evolutionary explanations - strength - supporting evidence

  one strength of evolutionary explanations is it has supporting evidence. For example, Buss (1989) surveyed 10,000+ adults from all over the world on partner preferences. he found that males valued signs of fertility. (i.e physical attractiveness and youth) more than females and that females valued signs of resources (i.e financially capable and ambition), more than males. This is therefore a strength because it supports the evolutionary theory.
• evolutionary explanations - strength - supporting evidence

  one strength of the evolutionary explanation is there is multiple supporting evidence of the different mating strategies suggested by the anisogamy. Clark and Hatfield (1989) had actors play the role of students in a uni and asked other students 'will you sleep with me?' The vast majority of men said yes, whereas zero women said yes. this study supports anisogamy in the evolutionary explanations.
• self disclosure

  a person reveals intimate personal information (thoughts, feelings and experiences) about themselves to another person. Greater disclosure leads to greater feelings of intimacy. People tend to prefer those who disclose personal information. People who also reveal more intimate information to those who they like and also tend to like those who they have revealed personal information to.
• self disclosure - key predictor

  a key predictor of liking and loving in a romantic relationship was the self disclosure 'recieved'. Information disclosed by the other.
• self disclosure - information shared

  research shows that the more people share, the more stable the relationship is. 50 dating couples were studies and the amount of overall disclosure in the relationship was predictive of whether the couple stayed together for longer than 4 years.