Question

According to Buss and colleagues, it is advantageous for human beings to seek out certain characteristics in order to maximize the ability of beneficial genes, and males, in particular, are genetically programmed to seek out mates with traits indicative of high reproductive capacity. This explanation rests on:

a. Evolutionary psychology
b. Social constructionism
c. Gender role theory
d. Psychoanalysis

Answer 1

Human males' preference for mates with high reproductive capacity is explained by evolutionary psychology, particularly the good genes hypothesis, which stresses that traits signaling genetic health are selected during reproduction.

Step-by-step explanation:

The explanation that human males are genetically programmed to seek out mates with traits indicative of high reproductive capacity is based on evolutionary psychology. This branch of psychology suggests that certain traits are favored in sexual selection because they signal genetic health or superior fitness, and thus, are more likely to be passed on to offspring. In this context, males develop certain ornaments as an honest signal of their quality, which is a premise of the good genes hypothesis. Females are hypothesized to select mates based on these traits to ensure the maximum survival of their offspring, emphasizing quality over quantity. This is in line with what researchers in sociobiology have argued about the evolution of human behavior and how it is influenced by the need to pass on beneficial genes.