MEN AND WOMEN

Sex and Mate selection, how do men and women differ?

Sex and Mate selection, how do men and women differ?

Introduction

Evolutionary psychologists have developed a theory to explain the origins of differences between men and women. Evolutionary psychology is the well-developed theory explaining sex differences (Wood & Eagly, 2002). From the evolutionary perspective, human sex differences reflect the pressure of differing physical and social environments between females and males in primeval times. It is believed that each sex faced different pressures and that the differing reproductive status was the key feature in life at that time. This resulted in sex-specific evolved mechanisms that humans carry with them--these are the causes of sex-differentiated behavior.

The two sexes developed different strategies to ensure their survival and reproductive success. This explains why men and women differ psychologically: They tend to occupy different social roles (Eagly & Wood, 1999).

Discussion

Evolutionary psychologists explain sex differences as based on differing parental investment. Because women invest greatly in reproduction of offspring, they have developed traits that help improve the chances that each offspring will survive. Men are less concerned with reproduction and are less choosy about mates (Wood & Eagly, 2002). Evolutionary psychologists view sex-evolved dispositions as psychological tendencies that have been built in genetically.

Environmental factors act as cues that interact with evolved predispositions to yield sex-typed responses (Eagly & Wood, 1999). This explains the difference in each sex's perspective on reproduction.

Physical appearances play a big part in mate selection. Women prefer men with more symmetrical features; clear, unblemished skin; and white sclera of the eye, because these features indicate good health, which also means "good" genes. Women also prefer that men have masculine features, such as strong jaw, facial hair, broader shoulders, narrower hips, and a muscular build, because these indicate sufficient testosterone for fertility.

When it comes to age, most women prefer older guys who are intelligent, have high social status, and have money, because these indicate that they have enough power to obtain resources that are needed for survival or offspring. All these things come into consideration as a woman proceeds to select a mate, because a long-term commitment is what she has in mind.

Men have their own preferences in physical appearance of their mate. Men's main interest is to impregnate a mate to have children. Men tend to seek relatively young woman with full lips, breasts, and hips, and a smaller waist, because ...