Evolutionary Psychology Flashcards
(15 cards)
WHat does evolutionary perspective say about our modern day behaviours
Modern behaviors we exhibit in social situations are products of natural and sexual selection pressures from our ancestors
What is natural selection
Natural Selection: Traits that are selected for over evolutionary time because they conferred a survival advantage.
what is sexual selection
Sexual Selection: Traits that serve reproductive benefits and have genetic and phenotypic cues of fitness. Which are sometimes contradictory of survival value.
what are the two types of sexual selection? What is sexual dimorphism
1) Intra sexual selection: Competition between same sex members of a species.
- Mostly two males competing for reproductive access.
- Sexual Dimorphism: On average, males of many species are bigger and stronger than females. Size and strength were passed on over evolutionary time because they were more successful and more mating opportunities. (Differences between sexes in a species)
2) Inter Sexual Selection: Mate preferences where certain traits or qualities are more successful in reproduction and mating.
What is PIT (the two predictions)
- The sex that invests more in their offspring is choosier and more discriminating about their mating partner. (less open to short term mating) – females invest more.
- The sex that invests less in their offspring should compete more vigorously for access to the valuable high-members of the opposite sex. (engage in intra sexual competition) – males invest less.
What drives sexual selection?
PIT
What 5 things are important for women and 2 things important for men in finding ling term mates according to Buss study
Focus on resource acquisition and commitment.
1. Good financial prospects
2. Social status
3. Preference for older men
Ambition and industriousness
Height and athletic prowess
Signs of fertility
1. Youth
2. Physical appearance (WHR, symmetry, face)
Why would females need to have the 5 things and what is specific approximation of age differences, what does age correlate with? how much do they need these things more than men?
1) Good Financial Prospects: Good way to accrue resources
- If we take the mean of females vs. men, females value this variable x2 more than men.
2) Social Status: All cultures have words to denote status. Higher status indicates higher mate value (i.e. more opportunity for mating).
- Except Estonia: because most females favour status important we would still say its adaptable.
3) A preference for somewhat older men (~3.5 years on average):
- Somewhat older men Status, wealth, security and security are positively correlated with age.
- Age is a cue associated with resources.
- E.g. Hunter rating and attractiveness: A mans hunting skills are the strongest predictor of attractiveness for women and is correlated with age.
4) Ambition and Industriousness: Great to have an opportunity but to transform that into a success you need ambitious and hard working (industriousness)
- Majority of cultures, women value ambition and industry between important and indispensable
- Women are likely to discontinue a long-term relationship with a man if he loses his job, lacks career goals, or shows a lazy streak.
o Preference for conscientiousness, need for achievement, need for power (caveat, the power should be responsible and less impulsive), emotionally stable.
- If women have more resources their values are rooted in PIT.
5) Height and Athletic Prowess: A stronger and more athletic male could offer physical protection.
- Personal ads placed by taller men receive more responses than short men
- If the personal ad placed by the woman specifically mentioned height, then they wanted their man to be 6ft or taller.
- Conspecific: members of the same species.
what are the 2 things men need when picking a long term mate and what does it signal?
1) Youth: They signal fertility
- Women are looking for slightly older and mean are looking for younger.
- 2.5 years younger on average for a preference.
- The age gap will be larger for men preferring younger women in cultures that polygynous.
- As men get older, they want women who are younger.
- Teenage males want women who are slightly older.
- These traits predict behaviours.
- It’s the act that’s selected for not the outcome.
2) Evolved Standards of Physical beauty are objective.
Physical Appearance: Clear skin, collagen surplus, symmetry, low WHR (0.70), hair, muscle
Behavioural Appearance:
- A feminine looking face: thin jaw, big eyes, full lips, high cheek bones
o Negative correlation between age and facial femininity.
o Facial femininity is positively correlated with estrogen levels.
- Facial symmetry is positively correlated with judgements of attractiveness although weaker than facial femininity.
- Facial femininity is more about fertility and facial symmetry is about health.
what area of the brain becomes activated in heterosexual males when they see an atrtactive women
- Nucelus Accumbens: apart of behavioural award system dealing with approach motivation
What are the results of the mate luxury study of the small budget compared to both sexes?
Male participants picked physical appearance while females picked social status. (interaction is present because one level of independent variable (male/female) depends on the level of another (social/physical).
same amount on kindness.
what is another way that mate preferences can be studied naturally? what variables are most significant for females vs males
- Can also study mate preferences by personal ads.
o Popular ads where those that had fertility cues and resource acquisition/commitment/low neuroticism/intelligent.
which sex is more threatened (jealous) by sexual or emotional infedelity. why?
Men are more threatened (jealous) by sexual infidelity because it relates to paternity
Females are more worried (jealous) about emotional infidelity because it’s a potential loss of resources.
- Found by study asking females and males what was more distressing.
what is young male syndrome
Young Male Syndrome: Males take more risks (violence) because over evolution men who took risks were rewarded, favoring risky behaviour and not worrying about consequences.
what are the main points for Evolutionary Personality Psychology when pursuing mates
When pursuing mates certain traits might be accentuated. Particularly extroversion.
- even more introverted men likely turn up their extraversion a notch or two when pursuing a woman
- Men and Women likely act less agreeable around others pursuing the same mate. (a situational factor)
