10.1.3

(2026 Exams) Evaluation of Sexual Selection

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Changes in Partner Preferences

Over the past century, partner preferences have changed because of changes in social norms and sexual behaviour.

Changing partner preferences

Changing partner preferences

  • Over the past century, partner preferences have changed.
  • Changes to social norms and sexual behaviours, which develop much faster than evolutionary timescales imply, have influenced partner preferences.
Changing partner preferences cont.

Changing partner preferences cont.

  • These kinds of changes have come about through cultural factors, such as the availability of contraception.
  • Females are also more highly represented in the workplace and are no longer dependent on men to provide for them.
__Bereczkei et al. (1997)__

Bereczkei et al. (1997)

  • Bereczkei et al. (1997) argued that this social change has consequences for women’s mate preferences, which may no longer be resource oriented.
__Chang et al. (2011)__

Chang et al. (2011)

  • Chang et al. (2011) compared partner preferences in China over 25 years and found that some have changed but others remain the same. The changes corresponded with huge social changes.
  • So mate preferences are the outcome of a combination of evolutionary and cultural influences. Any theory that fails to account for both is a limited explanation.

Evolutionary Theory

Evolutionary theory makes predictions about partner preferences that are testable.

__Clark and Hatfield (1989)__

Clark and Hatfield (1989)

  • Clark and Hatfield (1989) sent male and female psychology students to a university campus.
  • They were told to approach students and say to them: ‘I have been noticing you around campus. I find you to be very attractive. Would you go to bed with me tonight?’
__Clark and Hatfield (1980)__ findings

Clark and Hatfield (1980) findings

  • No female students agreed to the request.
  • 75% of males agreed immediately.
  • This supports evolutionary theory.
__Clark and Hatfield (1980)__ cont.

Clark and Hatfield (1980) cont.

  • This is because the study found that females are pickier than males when it comes to selecting sexual partners.
  • This implies that males have evolved different strategy to females to make sure they have reproductive success.
__Singh (1993, 2002)__

Singh (1993, 2002)

  • Evolutionary theory predicts that males have a preference for female body shapes that indicate fertility.
  • Singh (1993, 2002) wanted to test this by studying the role of female waist-hip ratios in influencing male preference.
__Singh (1993, 2002)__ findings

Singh (1993, 2002) findings

  • He reported that male preference is dependent on the ratio of waist to hip measurements, rather than overall female body size.
  • Males generally found any hip and waist sizes attractive so long as the ratio of one to the other was about 0.7.
__Singh (1993, 2002)__ conclusions

Singh (1993, 2002) conclusions

  • The combination of wider hips and narrow waist is attractive because it is an ‘honest signal’ (it is hard to fake) that the woman is fertile but not currently pregnant.
__Waynforth and Dunbar (1995)__

Waynforth and Dunbar (1995)

  • Waynforth and Dunbar (1995) studied lonely hearts advertisements in American newspapers.
  • They discovered that women were more likely to offer physical attractiveness while men offered resources and focussed on attributes such as success and ambition.
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1

Social Influence

2

Memory

3

Attachment

4

(2026 Exams) Psychopathology

5

(2027 Exams) Clinical Psychology & Mental Health

6

Approaches in Psychology

7

Biopsychology

8

Research Methods

8.1

Research Methods

8.2

Scientific Processes

8.3

Data Handling & Analysis

8.4

Inferential Testing

9

Issues & Debates in Psychology (A2 only)

10

Option 1: Relationships (A2 only)

10.1

Relationships: Sexual Relationships (A2 only)

10.2

Relationships: Romantic Relationships (A2 only)

10.3

(2026 Exams) Relationships: Virtual (A2 only)

10.4

(2027 Exams) Relationships: Online (A2 only)

11

Option 1: Gender (A2 only)

12

Option 1: Cognition & Development (A2 only)

13

Option 2: Schizophrenia (A2 only)

14

Option 2: Eating Behaviour (A2 only)

15

Option 2: Stress (A2 only)

16

Option 3: Aggression (A2 only)

17

Option 3: Forensic Psychology (A2 only)

18

Option 3: Addiction (A2 only)

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