Homework  Plan the following essay ready for timed essay after half term “Discuss two or more theories of the formation of romantic relationships” (8+16)

How will I know if I am learning? By the end of the lesson… E Will be able to describe research evidence to support sexual selection. C Will be able to evaluate sexual selection as a theory of relationships. A Will be able to evaluate using good IDA

‘ Sex differences in human mate preferences’

How can I find out about male and female mate preferences THIS IS BUSS… … HE’S INTERESTED IN FINDING OUT WHAT MEN AND WOMEN GO FOR IN A MATE I know, I’ll do a questionnaire

Fill in your age, gender and marital status 17, Female, single 41, Male, single 32, Female, Married 25, Male, single

 At what age they wanted to marry  How big they like the age gap to be between themselves and their partner  How many children they want  How important 18 characteristics were to them, including…  Good job  Good looks  Chastity  Ambition  Which characteristics were most desirable including…  Good earning capacity  Physical attractiveness

Let’s go and see if we get different results in other cultures Let’s go to Europe, America, Africa, Iran, New Zealand, and many more… Pack your bags and hold tight…

MANY DIFFERENT TYPES OF PEOPLE WERE USED… …AND THEY WERE GAINED USING DIFFERENT SAMPLING TECHNIQUES

In all 37 samples men rated good looks in their mate more than women In all 37 samples males and females preferred the male to be older In 36/37 samples women rated good financial prospects higher than men did

Good financial prospects was rated low in the Netherlands and Great Britain This was high in Indonesia and Nigeria In 34 samples we rated ambition as more important than men did

Good looks were particularly important for men in Bulgaria and Nigeria In Scandinavian countries chastity was seen as irrelevant But China, India and Indonesia see this as important

Wow, that was a big study! Time for a cup of tea!

Research the following studies and complete the evaluation grid:  1) Buss (1989)  2) Clarke & Hatfield (1989)  3) Dunbar and Waynforth (1995)  4) Penton-Voak et al (1999) – Menstrual Cycle

 Now consider the following questions and write out your answers/ideas…  1) How does Miller et al (2007) provide support for the importance of fertility in his study of lap dancers?  2) In Buss’ study, men showed a distinct preference for younger women. It was suggested that this was because youth was an indicator of fertility. However are there any other explanations for a male preference for younger mates?  3) What is the problem of Homosexuality for this theory?  4) What is the problem of Contraception for this theory?

1) How could this explanation be gender biased? (Can a man be sexually promiscuous without willing females?) 2) Wilson: ‘evolutionary psychology simply points out the genes are a strong guide to our behaviour.’ Does this suggest nature or nurture? Determinism or free will? 3) BUT Honeybourne, considered that evolutionary psychology was a from of biological Calvinism whereby your genetics acted as a deterministic factor. Your genes preset all of your behaviour, disregarding the role of free will. 4) Rose, a prominent critic of evolutionary psychology, has argued that it is too concerned with the past and thus presents a “Flinstone’s View” of mankind. What could this mean?

What might the following psychologists say about sexual selection as an approach to relationships? Freud Pavlov

Create a PEEL for one Point of Sexual Selection as a theory of relationships…. Look at the mark scheme for a 24 marker and answer the questions.. POINTMake your point. EVIDENCESupport it with psychological research. EXPLAINExplain what the research shows or suggests. LINKLink it back to your point or the question.

Imagine you were another psychologist looking at the theory of Sexual Selection and it’s influence on relationships. You want to weigh up the pro’s and con’s. Consider what we have learned and write a passage evaluating Sexual Selection as a theory of relationships. Consider: 1)Evidence 2)A02 3)IDA (Synoptic A02) 4)Comparisons with other theories/approaches.

Discuss the relationship between sexual selection and human reproductive behaviour. (A01 = 8 A02/A03 = 16) Due in one week today!