Evolutionary explanations of human aggression
Evolutionary explanations argue that humans evolved aggressive behaviours because those behaviours helped our ancestors survive and reproduce. Aggression was passed on because it gave a reproductive advantage.
Real World
David Buss's cross-cultural study of 37 cultures found men universally used resource display and aggression to attract mates, consistent with the evolutionary prediction that aggression functions as a mate-acquisition strategy.
Exam Focus
Link each form of aggression (jealousy, mate retention, status) explicitly to reproductive success; answers that omit the adaptive function rarely exceed Band 2.
Evaluation Scaffold
A four-step framework for high-quality evaluation. Use this for 'assess', 'evaluate', and 'to what extent' questions.
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