Gender- Evolutionary theory
Mate Choice
Evolutionary theory suggests that gender differences may have evolved due to a preference in mate choice.
Men look for women who are young, healthy and physically attractive, so they can mate more often and improve their reproductive success.
Women look for a man who is healthy and has lots of resources such as food or money, so the chances of their survival and their offspring's survival is increased.
Men and women have therefore evolved to act in a way that appeals to the opposite sex- women try to look young and attractive, whilst men like to show off their resources by acting strong or having expensive things.
This shows that gender differences is an adaptive response that causes men and women to try and appeal to the opposite sex,so their reproduction and survival chances are increased.
EVIDENCE~ Waynforth and Dunbar- used personal adds to asses what men and women were seeking and offering when looking for a relationship. They found that 44% of the males looked for an attractive partner, compared to only 22% of females. 50% of females offered attractiveness, compared to only 34%of males. This shows that men are more interested in an attractive mate than females and females like to offer their attractiveness to appeal to males, so this difference in gender is due to an evolutionary adaptation to try and appeal to the opposite gender.