evolutionary explanation

AO1

  • sexual jealousy - stronger in males than females due to paternal uncertainty

  • they want to avoid cuckoldry as it is a waste of their resources, which is an evolutionary disadvantage

  • they reduce risk of cuckoldry through male retention strategies

  • male retention strategies

    • direct guarding - knowing the whereabouts of the partner at all times, male vigilance

    • negative inducements - threatening dire consequences to avoid infidelity ie suicide

  • bullying - power imbalance, deliberate and repeated aggression towards a weaker individual

  • male bullying - volk argued that behaviours associated with bullying are attractive to females

    • dominance, acquisition of resources and strength

    • wards of potential rivals

    • bullying behaviour naturally selected due to greater reproductive success

  • female bullying - more likely to occur in a relationship

    • method of controlling partner

    • secure their partner’s fidelity → continue to provide resources

    • naturally selected due to greater reproductive success

AO3

  • one strength of this explanation is that it explains why aggression differs between the genders

  • campbell - it is not adaptive for a female to be aggressive as it puts her own life and her offspring’s life at risk

  • so a more adaptive strategy would be to use verbal aggression as opposed to physical, in order to secure resources

  • therefore, this supports the evolutionary theory as an explanation of aggression

  • another strength is that it has real world application

  • the theory suggests that bullying occurs to increase survival

  • ellis - if bullying occurs for adaptive reasons, then interventions could be implemented where the cost of bullying is greater, encouraging prosocial behaviour and rewarding it

  • for example, punishing bullying or providing responsibilities to bullies to offer them an alternative source of status

  • an issue with this explanation is that it biologically determinstic

  • by attributing aggression to evolution, we remove free will and choice which rids people of accountability over their actions

  • this can be problematic in the real world for a number of reasons

    • socially sensitive because it excuses male aggression towards females and ignores the issues that male vigilance can cause in relationships, also potentially excuses abuse

    • legal implications - excusing domestic violence, verbal abuse