Evolutionary Explanations

• Evolutionary approach

  Explains human behaviour in terms of adaptiveness and reproductive success
• natural selection 


  Adapting to the environment
• sexual selection 


  certain traits increase chances of mating and reproducing
• what does the sexual selection explanation of relationships try to explain?

  the differences in partner preferences between males and females
• anisogamy 


  differences in male and female sex cells
• 2 mating strategies given by anisogamy

  intersexual selection

  intrasexual selection
• intersexual selection 


  female strategy
• intrasexual selection 


  male strategy
• why do males prioritise impregnating as many women as possible?

  Their sex cells replenish quickly and they want to pass on their genes successfully
• why do females prioritise resources?

  it ensures the survival of her and her child
• Buss (1989)

  ppts from 33 countries rated 18 characteristics on how important they are

  women valued more resource-related characteristics and men valued ability to reproduce
• Buss (1995)


  found men are more jealous of sexual infidelity whereas women are more jealous of emotional infidelity
• physical dimorphism 


  differences in the body size and physical appearance between males and females
• Clark & Hatfield (1989)

  asked male and female volunteers to approach opposite-sex students and ask them one of 3 questions

  ‘will you go on a date with me?’

  ‘will you come back to my apartment?’

  ‘will you go to bed with me tonight?’
• Clark & Hatfield findings

  women agreed to all 3 questions less than men
• Evaluations of evolutionary explanation

  mate choice is more complex - Penton-Voak et al suggested that females preferences change across the menstrual cycle

  Reductionist - doesn’t account for homosexual relationships

  Alpha bias - differences between the sexes are overstated, both sexes look for kindness in a partner