evolutionary

• Support - evidence of central evolutionary concepts

  • Shackelford 2005 = guarding/negatively inducing men more likely use physical violence
  • mate retention strategies associated w/ sexual jealousy and aggression because they are trying to reduced likelihood of cuckoldry and increase survival of own genes
  • therefore risk of infidelity + cuckoldry linked to aggression, adaptive value of aggression predictions correct as precaution of cuckoldry reduced likelihood of investing in rival’s offspring 
• Support - Explains gender differences – why men more aggressive than women

  • Campbell 1999 + Buss & Shackelford 1997 = female verbal aggression to retain a partner who provides resources risks offspring survival therefore verbal aggression more adaptive
  • physical aggression harms and rises risk to herself and child therefore avoid life-threatening situations
  • therefore shows how, in comparison to men, they non-aggressively resolve disputes
• Real life application

  • Rigby 2010 = maladaptive behaviours can be eradicated by embracing deficiency of bully
  • Volk 2012 = bully wouldn't voluntarily give up power as it brings benefits for them so anti-bullying interventions should increase cost of bullying but reward prosocial alternatives
  • turns the bully’s behaviours from a hinderance to practicality such as a sport where they are still encouraged to be aggressive but positively
  • therefore still have opportunity to show prowess, strength and attractive qualities that may not be available when bullying and increase reproduction success
• Limitation - Methodological issues

  • mate retention strategies link to violence, positive correlation between mate retention behaviours and physical violence of partner
  • only correlation between aggression and mate retention strategies but does not mean cause-and-effect as there could be an unstudied third contributing factor
  • therefore due to only casual conclusions, over exaggeration of evolutionary explanation may be implied
• Limitation - Cultural differences

  • !Kung San people of Kalahari discourage aggression but Yanomamo of Venezuela and Brazil praise aggression
  • discouragement suggest aggression is rare in Kalahari because they diminish rep. but more prominent in Venezuela and Brazil because they gain status 
  • therefore evolutionary theory suggest aggression is beneficial for the aggressor therefore is good, but has imposed etic and it tries to generalise to other cultures therefore lacks cultural validity