Relationships- evolutionary explanation

Question 1

What is the evolutionary explanation for partner preference?

Answer 1

It focuses on sexual selection as the driving force of human reproductive behaviour, those who manage to reproduce successfully pass on their genes.

Question 2

What is the term called for where sexual selection differs between males and females?

Answer 2

anisogamy

Question 3

What does anisogamy mean?

Answer 3

The difference of sexual selection between males and females but also the different between male and female sex cells.

Question 4

What is the difference between male and female sex cells?

Answer 4

sperm- small, mobile, continuously produced with little energy.
egg- large, static, requires more energy, produces at intervals over a limited number of years.

Question 5

What are the two ways of sexual selection?

Answer 5

1- inter-sexual selection
2- intra-sexual selection

Question 6

What does intersexual selection mean?

Answer 6

Between males and females

Question 7

What is intersexual selection?

Answer 7

When individuals of one sex evolve preferences for desirable qualities in potential mates. Therefore pays to be picky because want offspring to be high quality and have a greater chance of survival.

Question 8

Which gender is more likely to experience intersexual selection?

Answer 8

Females

Question 9

What does intra sexual selection mean?

Answer 9

Between members of one gender

Question 10

What is intra sexual selection?

Answer 10

When individuals of one sex must out compete other members if their sex to gain the attention of the opposite sex.

Question 11

Which gender typically experiences intra sexual selection more?

Answer 11

males

Question 12

What are the 3 characteristics that a woman looks for in inter sexual selection?

Answer 12

Ones indicating good resources, genes and parents.

Question 13

What are 3 examples of Male and female mating strategies?

Answer 13

1- Sexy sons hypothesis
2- Mate guarding
3- Courtship

Question 14

What is the sexy son’s hypothesis?

Answer 14

selecting an attractive male as they can produce sons with the same attractiveness.

Question 15

What is mate guarding?

Answer 15

Keeping an eye on or remaining close to their partner.

Question 16

What is Courtship?

Answer 16

Dating to establish whether the potentially partner can provide the desirable resources.

Question 17

Who identifies the waist-to-hip ratio for a strength of how desirable characteristics can influence sexual selection?

Answer 17

Singh (1993)

Question 18

What did Singh (1993) do and find for waist-to-hip ratio?

Answer 18

Used data from the past 50 years and suggested that a small waist and full hips represents fertility.
With an optimum ratio of 0.7

Question 19

Who found a weakness of Singh (1993) waist-to-hit ratio?

Answer 19

Swami and Furnham (2006)

Question 20

What did Swami and Furnham (2006) find as a weakness of Singh (1993) waist-to-hit ratio?

Answer 20

The optimum ratio a lot of the time is only found in supermodels to not generalisable.

Question 21

Who researched support for intersexual selection?

Answer 21

Clark and Hatfield (1998)

Question 22

What did Clark and Hatfield do to find support for intersexual selection?

Answer 22

They sent males and females across a uni campus to ask fellow students of opposite sex questions like “i have been noticing you around campus, i find you to be very attractive. Would you go to bed with me tonight? “

Question 23

what did Clark and Hatfield find for support of intersexual selection?

Answer 23

Males said yes 75% and females said yes 0%.

Question 24

What in particular of intersexual selection does Clark and Hatfield’s findings support?

Answer 24

Support for women being more choosy, having quality over quantity. This is because a woman can only have a child every 9 months with their fertile window being smaller than males.

Question 25

What does Singh (1993) study into waist-to-hip ratio provide as a strength for how desirable characteristics can increase fertility?

Answer 25

It gives good validity of mate choices.

Question 26

What is a weakness of the evolutionary explanation of mate preferences in relation to reductionism?

Answer 26

It reduces behaviours like love and emotion which can be complex to simple, cold reproductive drives (genetics), therefore ignoring individual differences, personal preference and free will.

Question 27

What is a weakness of the evolutionary explanation for mate preferences in relation to generalisability?

Answer 27

It primarily focuses on reproductive success therefore struggling to explain homosexual relationships where partners cannot reproduce together.