Evolutionary Explanations for Aggression (Infidelity & Jealousy)

Evolutionary Explanations for Aggression (Infidelity & Jealousy)

1. Sexual Jealousy

   • Aggression in men has an adaptive value.
     • Men are more likely to experience sexual jealousy because of the fear of "cuckoldry", as they experience parental uncertainty.
       • The consequence of cuckoldry for a man is that he may "unwittingly invest his resources in offspring that are not his own".
         • Therefore, male sexual jealous & aggression evolved to prevent a female from infidelity & to minimise the risk of cuckoldry.
           • To achieve this, males have evolved a number of *MATE RETENTION STRATEGIES* which deter mates from infidelity.
             • These include: "direct guarding" & "negative inducements".
               • In extreme cases, the consequence of male aggressive behaviour designed to deter the partner from infidelity is that she dies.
   • A02:
     • (Wilson) found support for the link between sexual jealousy, mate retention strategies & violence.
       • They found that women who indicated that their partners were jealous & did not like them talking to other men, were twice as likely to have experienced violence from their partner (with 72% of these women needing medical care).
         • Further research support for this claim comes from a study by (Buss et al). They found that men who suspected that their wives might be unfaithful over the next year imposed greater punishment for a known or suspected infidelity, than those men who did not expect future infidelities.
           • Thus these studies demonstrate how sexual jealousy has evolved for men, which enables to deter their female mate from infidelity.
   • IDA: Real-World Application
     • This understanding of mate retention strategies can have Real-World Application.
       • The use of mate retention strategies can be used as an "early indicator" of violence against the female partner.
         • Therefore, it can be used to "alert friends & family members to the danger signs that can lead to violence in relationships".

2. Sexual Infidelity

   • Another problem linked to mate violence is sexual infidelity.
     • When a women becomes pregnant with another man's child, the function of violence directed towards her may be to end the pregnancy, thus eliminating the potential offspring & leaving her free to produce offsping for him.
   • A02:
     • (Tailieu et al) found evidence supporting that a man who suspects that his partner is pregnant with another man's child is likely to inflict violence upon her.
       • They found that women abused while pregnant were more likely to be carrying the child of a man other than her current mate.
         • Thus suggests that the male's violence inflicted towards the pregnant women was a direct response to end her pregnancy.
     • Further support for this claim comes from a study by (Valladares et al)
       • They found that half a sample of pregnant women who were physically abused by their partners, had suffered from "blows directly to their abdomen", specifically designed to increase the probability of "aborting the foetus".
     • A limitation of evolutionary explanations of partner violence is that there are "individual differences".
       • Explanations cannot explain why some males react differently when faced with the same adaptive problems.
         • Some men may resort to aggressive mate retention strategies, others to murder, whilst others get drunk.
           • Thus suggests that violence is "not a universal response" to sexual jealousy & infidelity.
     • IDA: Gender Bias
       • Most studies of infidelity have focused solely on men's mate rentention strategies & on male violence against women.
         • This represents a Gender Bias explanation, as women can also practice mate retention strategies & can behave violently towards their partner.
           • Research suggests that women carry out physical assaults on their partners as often as men do.
             • For example, (Felson) found examined 2000 murders in the US and found that women were twice as likely to murder out of jealousy.
               • Thus suggests that our understanding of mate retention strategies are limited because of the focus on males only.
     • IDA: Post-hoc
       • Furthermore, evolutionary explanations of aggressive behaviour can be criticised for being a "post-hoc explanation", thus making it difficult to test.
         • We cannot be sure that we have evolved to display aggressive behaviour in order to gain resources.
           • Also, it is impossible to travel back in time & scientifically test this explanation.
             • It is likely that other factors are responsible for aggressive behaviour.
               • Therefore explanations of jealousy & infidelity on aggression are percieved to be "REDUCTIONIST", as it doesn't take into account other factors that could influence aggressive behaviour.

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