Evolutionary Explanation

How can we apply evolution to relationships?

We want partners with good genes to ensure our kids have good genes.

Human behaviour is driven by the need to survive and reproduce.

Anisogamy

Males and femaes have different biological roles to play when having children due to the differences between the male and female gametes.

True or False: it is rarer to find a fertile female

why?

True. This because sperm is created continously from puberty into old age and requires little energy whereas eggs are larger and are produced for a limited time.

Inter Sexual selection

mate choice: females have high investment cost and parental certainty of children and need to pick highest quality mate from a wide selection of available mates.

What are the consequences of a bad partner for a female?

• Pregancy is time consuming and impacts the body negatively

• the mother is typical caregiver

• good quality genes need to be passed on to the child

Ronald Fisher

The sexy sons hypothesis

• A female will mate with a male who has certain characteristics that their son will then inherit.

• Her son is then more likely to be selected by other females.

Inter Sexual Selection

Mate competition: Males have low investment costs but lack parental certainty. Males compete with eachother for access to a large quantity of females.

Sexual Dimorphism

When the males and females of a same species have different enhanced secondary physical characteristics.

What do Females look for in a Partner?

• Qualities that will aid raising a child into adulthood.

• resources/money

• tall/healthy characteristics that link to dominance.

• Males that come across protective may also be aggressive which leads to aggression remaining in the gene pool.

What do Males look for in a Partner?

• Qualities of fertility

• 0.7 body shape

• young facial features

• hourglass

A03: Clark & Hatfield Research Support

• Sent male and female psychology students across a uni campus.

• They approached other students asking if they would sleep with them

• 0% of females said yes

• 75% of males said yes.

However

• Other research argued that both male and females adopt a similar mating strategy when seeking long term relationships.

• Both sexes are more choosey and look for loyalty and kindness.

A03: Buss Research Support

• Carried out a survery of over 10000 adults in 33 countries.

• Lower levels of socioeconomic status were not well represented

• He asked questions related to partner preference

• Females placed higher value of resource

• Males placed higher value on physical attractiveness.

A03: Overlooks the influences of social and cultural factors on partner preference.

• Partner preference influenced by rapidly changing social norms of behaviour

• Women now have a greater role in the workplace and are no longer dependent on men to provide.

• Womens preferences are less likely to be resource orientated.

• Theories should account for evolutionary and cultural influences.

A03: Reductionist

• Evolutionary theory argues strategies for choosing a mate are the result of genetic inheritance.

• It fails to account for homosexual relationships where partner preference doesnt result in reproductive success.