1. Evolution & Sexual Selection

2. Success Criteria How will I know if I am learning?
By the end of the lesson… E
Will be able to define the terms Natural & Sexual Selection. C
Will be able to explain the terms in connection with relationships. A
Will be able to apply these terms to explain human mating strategies.

3. Rank these women in order of Attractiveness

4. Attractiveness
What are considered to be attractive and unattractive traits in women?

5. Rank these men in order of Attractiveness

6. Attractiveness
What are considered to be attractive and unattractive traits in men?

7. Activity:
5:00
Recall 3 people either you find attractive at the moment, or have in the past, and list down all the things that attracted you to those people...
Now on the Post-It notes I have given you, write down 1 physical characteristic you find attractive. You should have a total of 5 characteristics, one on each Post-It. When you have written them down (big & clear) I want you to come and put them up on the board. When you go up, if someone else has the same characteristic, then place yours in the same place, like the ones below.
Give out Post-Its
Eyes
Eyes
SC = E: Define Key Terms, C: Explain terms, A: Apply to mating strategies

8. Broad Chest (quite hairy)
These are mine...
Beautiful eyes
Strong arms & legs
Good teeth
Broad Chest (quite hairy)
Nice Hair
SC = E: Define Key Terms, C: Explain terms, A: Apply to mating strategies

9. Attractiveness
It would be nice to think that the formation of a relationship relied on more than just physical attractiveness. However, the importance of beauty should not be underestimated.
Walster (1966) arranged for a huge blind date event where students were paired up with a stranger.
Midway through the date, they were separated and asked what they thought of their date.
Attractiveness was the only significant predictor of how highly someone was rated.

10. Evolutionary
AO1

11. How can we apply this to relationships?
Evolution??
1:00
What is Evolution?
How can we apply this to relationships?
SC = E: Define Key Terms, C: Explain terms, A: Apply to mating strategies

12. Evolution
Each living thing (organism) has a set of characteristics encoded by its genes
The organism inherits its genes from its parent(s)
Variations between organisms are caused by variations in the genotype
SC = E: Define Key Terms, C: Explain terms, A: Apply to mating strategies

13. Organism has particular characteristics determined by its genes
Evolution
Environment
Environment contains a range of opportunities and threats (e.g. food sources, predators)
Organism
Organism has particular characteristics determined by its genes
SC = E: Define Key Terms, C: Explain terms, A: Apply to mating strategies

14. Which bit is an ‘attraction’ essay focused on?
Evolution!
Characteristics evolve because they have been passed from one generation to the next via the genes
This requires the organism:
To live to reproductive age
To mate successfully
To ensure the offspring’s survival
Which bit is an ‘attraction’ essay focused on?
SC = E: Define Key Terms, C: Explain terms, A: Apply to mating strategies

15. Socio-biological explanation
Socio-biology therefore is a field of psychology which aims to explain social behaviour in evolutionary terms
A behaviour is said to be adaptive if it leads to increased survival and reproduction of an organism.
This means that the gene which causes this behaviour will be passed on to the next generation.
It is argued that most behaviour is adaptive, otherwise the organism would not have lived long enough to pass the genes on.
Sociobiological (evolutionary) explanations of attractiveness therefore see attraction as an adaptive behaviour which leads to increased reproduction and survival.
Men and women should seek out partners who are likely to produce healthy children.

16. What’s the difference between Natural & Sexual Selection?
Key Term ALERT!!!
2:00
What’s the difference between Natural & Sexual Selection?
Extension: How might these terms explain relationships? (SC:E)
SC = E: Define Key Terms, C: Explain terms, A: Apply to mating strategies

17. Natural & Sexual Selection
Natural selection
Ability to survive in a particular environment (fitness)
Sexual selection
Ability to attract/find a mate and reproduce successfully
These are separate processes – the characteristics that facilitate reproduction do not necessarily increase survival chances
SC = E: Define Key Terms, C: Explain terms, A: Apply to mating strategies

18. Sexual Dimorphism
In many species, males have characteristics (e.g. brighter colouration, exaggerated tails) that serve to attract females
Suggests that males are competing for the attention of females
Suggests that, in many species, females do the choosing
SC = E: Define Key Terms, C: Explain terms, A: Apply to mating strategies

19. Intra-Sexual Selection
3:00
Usually males compete with each other for ‘access’ to members of the opposite sex – victors mate and pass on their genes – winning traits are passed on to the next generation.
Summarise in 5 little words!
SC = E: Define Key Terms, C: Explain terms, A: Apply to mating strategies

20. Do they? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_H3n2iT3co
SC = E: Define Key Terms, C: Explain terms, A: Apply to mating strategies

21. Inter-Sexual Selection
3:00
The preferences of one sex (usually females) for members of the opposite sex who possess certain qualities. Humans are ‘pre-programmed’ to attend to displays of these important indicators and mate with the individuals who possess them. E.g. if females prefer tall males – over time, the number of tall males would increase!
Summarise in 5 little words!
SC = E: Define Key Terms, C: Explain terms, A: Apply to mating strategies

22. Inter-Sexual Selection
So what should these be signalling?
What about culture?
If sexual selection is important in effecting human reproductive behaviour, we should expect that the same physical characteristics are attractive to most people and that they signal fertility. Also, that sex differences in reproductive behaviour are reasonably consistent across different cultures.
SC = E: Define Key Terms, C: Explain terms, A: Apply to mating strategies

23. What do we find attractive?
2:00
What are the differences in what men and women want in a mate?
How does this relate to evolution?
SC = E: Define Key Terms, C: Explain terms, A: Apply to mating strategies

24. So What Do
We Want?

25. The Research Evidence: What Men & Women want:
Franzoi & Herzog (1987)
Men were predominantly concerned with weight
Women like men with a firm bum and large chest
What is a possible criticism...
1) dates!
SC = E: Define Key Terms, C: Explain terms, A: Apply to mating strategies

26. Biology Of Love 01 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6_Ea5G8_KI 2.27
SC = E: Define Key Terms, C: Explain terms, A: Apply to mating strategies

27. The Research Evidence: What Men & Women want:
Singh(1993)
Men like women with a low waist to hip ratio.
Slimmest part of your waist
Widest part of your hips
What is a possible criticism...
SC = E: Define Key Terms, C: Explain terms, A: Apply to mating strategies

28. Attractiveness
Cunningham (1986) found that certain features acquired high attractiveness ratings among the ppts, including neonate features such as
higher and wider eyes
greater distance between eyes
a smaller chin and a smaller nose size.
Highly attractive mature features were prominent cheek bones and a narrower face.
high eyebrows
large smiles and dilated pupils –these are expressive features, also linked to attractiveness
“ baby face you’ve got the cutest little baby face ”

29. The Research Evidence: What Men & Women want:
According to Cunningham (1986)
Men like women with
Childlike faces
Large and widely separated eyes
Small nose and chin
Women like men with
Mature faces
Square jaw
Thin lips
Small eyes
What is a possible criticism...
1) dates!
SC = E: Define Key Terms, C: Explain terms, A: Apply to mating strategies

30. The Research Evidence: What Men & Women want:
Notice how charlottes pictures is quite similar to that of a child, whereas Erics is markedly different.
We are going to revisit this idea in later lessons when we look in more detail at Sociobiological theory and the roles of natural selection in all this.
SC = E: Define Key Terms, C: Explain terms, A: Apply to mating strategies

31. What Strategies
Do We Use?

32. Be prepared to feedback to the class!
Mating Strategies
10:00
Using the textbook to help you:
Summarise Short Term Mating preferences in Men & Women.
Summarise Long Term Mating preferences in Men & Women.
Each of your summaries must include either the term ‘natural selection’ or ‘sexual selection.’
Be prepared to feedback to the class!
SC = E: Define Key Terms, C: Explain terms, A: Apply to mating strategies

33. Notes 5:00 1) Heading: Today’s Date, Unit & Topic
2) Write a summary of your learning today in less than 100 words. What have you learned ?
3) Considering what you have written in stage 2, which of the success criteria have you met? Write down them down along with the grade!
SC = E: Define Key Terms, C: Explain terms, A: Apply to mating strategies