Evolutionary Explanations

• Sexual Jealousy


  This is a major motivator of aggressive behaviour in males because of paternity uncertainty. Men are at risk of cuckoldry - investing into children that are not his own.

  Men who avoid cuckoldry were more reproductively successful, with aggressive strategies employed to prevent partners from 'straying'.
• Mate Retention Strategies


  Wilson and Daly identified strategies used to prevent male infidelity:

  • Direct guarding - vigilance over a partner's behaviour, restricing autonomy
  • Negative inducements - issuing threats or consequences for infidelity
• Physical Violence against a Partner

  Wilson et al:

  • Found women who reported mate retention strategies were 2x likely to have suffered physical violence from their partners
  • 73% required medical attention and 53% said they feared for their lives
  • Supports the view that mate retention strategies are linked to physical violence
• Bullying in Males


  Volk :

  • Characteristics of bullying behaviour may be attractive to females
  • Wards off potential rivals - greater reproductive success
  • May benefit the bully's health - boys who gain a reputation for being tough are less likely to experience aggression themselves
• Bullying in Females


  Campbell :

  • Tends to happen within relationships to control a partner
  • Aggression tends to be verbal as physical may put her own/ child's life at risk
  • Helps secure fidelity
  • Enhances reproductive success
• Eval : Strength

  Shackleford et al found a positive correlation between men's reports of their mate retention behaviours and women's reports of their partner's physical violence. Supports predictions derived from the evolutionary explanation.
• Eval : Strength

  The evolutionary explanation explains gender differences, Campbell says that females are less likely to use physical aggression because it could place their own or their child's life at risk, so they use verbal aggression instead.
• Eval : Weakness

  The evolutionary explanation is biologically deterministic because it says aggression stems from our ancestors survival adaptations, implying aggression is inevitable. This is unrealistic as it means the criminal justice system would collapse as people say that their aggression is not their fault.