Evaluation: Evolution, Natural Selection and Aggression

Evaluation: Evolution, Natural Selection and Aggression

1. Evolution

   • Evolution is the changes in inherited characteristics in a biological population over many generations.
   • In human evolution, being able to protect yourself and your possessions (including partner and offspring) would have enhanced chance of survival and reproduction, so people would be modified due to natural selection. For example, in the past, mate retention strategies were often aggressive, in order to try and prevent their partners from 'straying'. In both humans and animals, aggression is shown when their offspring were threatened. This could explain why people seem predisposed to being aggressive, as this aggressive behaviour was particularly vital for survival in the past.
     • Evolutionary theory is useful as it helps explaining gender differences in levels of aggression. For example, females who are co-operative would have been more likely to be naturally selected as this helped them protect themselves and their offspring. More aggressive men would have been more likely to be naturally selected as they would have been better hunters and providers. Evidence from chimpanzees supports this pattern of behaviour, and ultimately increases the theory's validity as it helps explain the gender differences in aggression today.
       • However, this level of aggression in males is not typically needed in today's society in many parts of the world, so it is unclear why aggression seems to continue to be passed down, rather than us evolving into being less aggressive to fit into today's world.

2. Natural Selection

   • Idea of evolution by natural selection.
   • Darwin proposed the idea of 'survival of the fittest', which is when the best-suited characteristics that best match the demand of the environment.
   • After many generations of small differences, there are people who are different to their predecessors. The individuals who can survive the demand of the environment then pass on these characteristics through reproduction. Although Darwin didn't know this, this is due to genes which predispose people and animals to be more successful being passed down to their offspring.
   • Evolution and natural selection is not directly testable. Therefore, a lot of research would be correlational, meaning that cause and effect cannot be gained. This means that we cannot discount the influence that other factors may play on aggression.
   • Evolutionary theory cannot be used to explain cultural differences in terms of aggression. For example, in some cultures, aggression is discourage and therefore is rarely seen. In others, such as the Yanomami of Venezuela and Brazil are known as the 'fierce people', where aggression seems to be widely accepted as a way to gain status in their structured society. This suggests that innately determined behaviour can be outweighed by cultural norms.

3. Sexual Selection

   • Sexual selection is an evolutionary explanation of partner preference - characteristics which are seen as attractive are more likely to be passed down as reproduction is more likely.
   • In the past, women would have likely been attracted to more aggressive men as they would have found their ability to hunt and protect to be attractive. Because of this, these more aggressive males will have been chosen as mates, and their genes and characteristics passed down through the generations.