Evolution shaped male but not female psychologies for intergroup aggression

Evidence

Our analysis suggests that the incentive structure of intergroup conflict is such that selection would have been particularly strong in shaping male-specific psychological traits that motivate aggression toward, and dominance over, other social groups. These psychological traits may take the form of emotions, attitudes, and cognitive biases whose ultimate function is to disadvantage or debilitate other groups relative to one’s own, particularly when the out-group targets are male. However, the psychology of prejudice among females is not likely to reflect the same function as it does for men as the incentives for intergroup aggression among females are less rewarding in an evolutionary sense. Not unlike males, females have much to lose from aggressive intergroup conflict, but there is little to gain because of their lower ceiling on reproductive success that can be had by increasing the pool of available mates. As such, it is unlikely that selection would have favored a female-specific psychology for intergroup aggression and dominance. — Roderick M. Kramer, Geoffrey J. Leonardelli, Robert W. Livingston, Social Cognition, Social Identity, and…, 1188

Categorization

Category: Causal Relationships

Related

• Selection shaped male-specific prejudice psychology but not female-specific intergroup aggression (similarity 0.93)
• Sexual selection makes men primary targets and agents of intergroup aggression. (similarity 0.90)
• Male intrasexual competition extrapolates to explain men’s role in intergroup conflict (similarity 0.89)
• Men and women express prejudice through different evolved strategies, fear versus aggression (similarity 0.87)
• Males do not target outgroup females because females are contested resources, not competitors (similarity 0.86)
• Male intergroup violence evolved to secure reproductive resources via dominance (similarity 0.86)
• Evolutionary parental investment differences explain men’s competitive and aggressive intergroup behavior (similarity 0.86)
• Aggression toward out-groups is not limited to subordinate-group targets (similarity 0.85)
• Intergroup aggression targets outgroup men while incorporating outgroup women (similarity 0.84)
• Male dominance motivation targets any group but acts mainly on subordinate out-groups (similarity 0.84)
• Prejudice-as-favoritism is gender-neutral but aggression targets men specifically (similarity 0.84)
• Men and women hold prejudice toward out-group men for different evolutionary reasons (similarity 0.84)
• Male aggression is primary and explains competition, not vice versa. (similarity 0.84)
• Intergroup conflict and gender psychology are inseparable components of one process (similarity 0.83)
• Women competing for male favor are inherently hostile to each other (similarity 0.83)