Aggression- Evolutionary explanations

Question 1

what do evolutionary explanations of human aggression suggest?

Answer 1

aggression is adaptive, enhancing an individual’s chances of reproductive success
-the driving force behind aggressive behaviour is to ensure the survival of one’s genes

Question 2

what does aggression being adaptive mean?

Answer 2

helps us survive and pass on our genes

Question 3

what are the two main components of this explanation?

Answer 3

aggressive behaviour and resources
aggression and reproductive success
(extension- male retention strategies- male guarding)

Question 4

what resources might males compete for?

Answer 4

food, mates, territory

Question 5

outline aggressive behaviour and resources
(Inter-sexual aggression)

Answer 5

-genetic mutations lead to beneficial changes that inrease the chances of survival, allowing humans to adapt to their environment and gives them an advantage over others
-aggressive individuals are more able to acquire resources, so more likely to survive, thus aggressive genes are passed onto subsequent generations
-aggressive behaviour is seen as attractive as females look for males with resources- able to provide for the offspring
-reproductive success is higher in aggressive males

Question 6

outline aggression and reproductive success
(Intra-sexual aggression)

Answer 6

the theory suggests that males are in ‘competition’ with one another to attract a mate, they are rivals
male-on-male aggression derives from sexual jealousy of other males who may have sex with or steal their mates

Question 7

how might a male demonstrate his dominance and strength over his rivals?

Answer 7

may fight/ attack other males
-shows they can protect female and offspring so is attractive

Question 8

why do males experience sexual jealousy?

Answer 8

they lack parental certainty, cannot be certain that the offspring is theirs as the partner may have sex with another man

Question 9

how may males lose and how does this link to aggression?

Answer 9

if a female is sexually unfaithful/ promiscuous with another ale then the costs to him are that he may end up investing time and resources in someone else’s offspring.
men have an evolutionary drive to invest their resources in their own offspring, not someone else’s
-their emotional response of jealousy is evolutionary driven and promotes aggressive behaviour

Question 10

what do women lose in comparison?

Answer 10

lose protection and resources provided by the male for her and her offspring
-men lose out more though

Question 11

what are male-retention strategies?

Answer 11

strategies to keep your mate from straying
-driven by jealousy

Question 12

what is direct guarding/ mate guarding?

Answer 12

strategies can range from constantly checking on the partner to physically restricting their contact with potential romantic competitors
-in modern day this may involve checking phones, isolating a partner from friends and family or stopping communication with other people of opposite sex

Question 13

why may males demonstrate IPV?

Answer 13

motivated by jealousy to help ensure their own paternity and genetic success

Question 14

A03 evolutionary
supporting study- Shackleford 2005

Answer 14

E: found that men’s use of particular mate retention behaviours related positively to female- directed violence (men who used guarding behaviours were more likely to be aggressive towards their partners)
E: this supports the idea that males are aggressive to increase reproductive success, driven by jealousy and a lack of parental certainty
L: this adds validity and credibility to the evolutionary explanation

Question 15

A03 evolutionary
opposition- correlational

Answer 15

P: research supporting this theory can be seen as invalid
E: research relies heavily upon correlational data- methodologically difficult to test concepts experimentally as cannot isolate an IV and consider its impact on a DV
E: although, we can establish a link between sexual jealousy and aggression, we cannot be sure that one causes another/ drives aggression
L: as such, there may be other contributing factors that such evidence fails to consider

Question 16

A03 evolutionary
determinism

Answer 16

P: this explanation of aggression takes a biologically deterministic stance
E: it assumes humans have no control in whether or not aggressive behaviour is displayed, but instead are governed by evolutionary mechanisms beyond their conscious control
E: this is problematic as it allows males to be excused for aggressive behaviour, there is a lack of accountability as it is driven by reproductive and survival drives
L: this leads to implications in the legal system and punishment of aggressive crimes- cannot punish men if they are evolutionary driven to be aggressive

Question 17

A03 evolutionary
alpha bias

Answer 17

P: this explanation of aggressive could lead to an alpha bias- where differences between males and females are exaggerated
E: it suggests that males are much more likely to be aggressive as they have more to lose if they invest all their resources in offspring that isn’t theirs
E: this could be socially sensitive as men are stereotyped to be aggressive and assumes that females are not capable of being aggressive
L: therefore, this may justify/ condone partner violence towards females and male on male aggressive

Question 18

A03 evolutionary
+ gender differences

Answer 18

P: evolutionary explanations can account for gender differences in aggressive behaviour
E: men are much more likely to be aggressive than females due to the evolutionary advantage
E: this explanation suggests that men have much more to lose from investing their time and resources into an offspring that isn’t theirs is a waste- parental uncertainty and no genes passed on

Question 19

A03 evolutionary
cultural differences

Answer 19

P: this explanation cannot account for cultural differences in aggressive behaviour
E: research has demonstrated that there is great variation in aggression cross-culturally. across 10 countries, incidences of women abuse ranged from 4-54%. learned behaviours and societal factors must play a role in male aggression
E: this is a weakness as the theory assumes aggression is universal, however large variations between societies have been found, suggesting environmental and cultural influences also play a role
L: cannot use the evolutionary explanations alone to explain aggression