Discuss one or more evolutionary explanations for one behavior.

An evolutionary argument that can explain human mating behavior is sexual selection. Evolution
is the change over time in living organisms of heritable characteristics of a species. The theory
of evolution states that by natural selection, organisms that adapt better to environmental
changes are more likely to survive, reproduce, and thus pass on their genes. Sexual selection, a
particular aspect of natural selection, states that to produce and protect the most healthy
offspring, the perfect mating partner is found. Because the evolutionary argument states this,
the way humans find mating partners must be beneficial to human survival and reproduction,
and thus an adaptive behavior. Two studies that looked at human mating behavior were Ronay
and von Hipper, and Wedekind

The aim of the study by Wedekin (1995) was to see if women are attracted to men based on
their MHC (major histocompatibility complex). The MHC is a group of proteins that let the
immune system recognize different pathogens. It is argued that when the MHC genes of parents
are diverse, the offspring will have a stronger immune system and that the way we smell is a
sign of our MHC. The researchers took a sample of female and male students, and each of their
MHC was found. The men were asked to wear a T-shirt for two nights, have their everyday
clothes and bed sheets washed in perfume-free detergents and shower with perfume-free soap.
After the two days, the women in the study were asked to rank the smell of 7 t-shirts, three of
which contained t-shirts from men with similar MHC as the woman, three that were different,
and one that was unworn. They ranked the smell for intensity, and ‘sexiness’ (on a scale of 0-
10). The researchers found that the women scored the t-shirt of a male with a different MHC
than their own higher than when the MHC was similar. The study shows that MHC may
influence human mate choice, which can support the argument of sexual selection as we are
looking to produce the most healthy offspring. A strength of this study is that the variable of
MHC was isolated completely. There were extensive measures taken to ensure that the only
variable tested was the smell of the MHC on the t-shirt. This means that the study has high
internal validity. A limitation would be that while the variable was isolated, it is not a good
representation of how a mate is found - women do not go around smelling shirts in boxes.

Another study that looks at the evolutionary argument for human mating behavior is by Ronay and
von Hippel (2010). The aim of the study was to determine if males would take greater risks in the
presence of an attractive female. To do this, the levels of testosterone were also tested. The
researchers had a sample of young Australian male skateboarders that were recruited at skateboard
parks. The study took place in the afternoon. They were assigned to one of two conditions, the male-
researcher condition and the female-researcher condition. They were asked to do two different
tricks, ten times each. One trick was easy, and the other difficult. Each attempt at the trick was
marked as a success, an aborted attempt, or a crash landing. To measure testosterone, saliva
samples were collected. The researchers found that when the participants did their tricks in front of
the female researcher, they took greater risks on the difficult tricks. They aborted tricks less and their
testosterone levels were higher. From this study, it can be seen that testosterone may cause men to
take greater physical risks when in the presence of a woman. This study may support evolutionary
theory as risk-taking is used as a sign for potential mates to show that the male is healthy and
strong. In other words, he can produce and protect his offspring. A limitation of the study would be
the ethical issue of deception, as the participants did not know they were being tested for their
human mating behavior. It is possible that if they had known this was the case, they would be
embarrassed.

The argument of sexual selection for human mating behavior can be supported through the
studies by Ronay and von Hipper and Wedekind, This evolutionary argument, however, does
have its limitations. The evolutionary theory of sexual selection is based on the assumption that
behaviors are genetically inherited. In actuality, it is not yet known to what extent human
behaviors are inherited. In addition, it is hard to test human mating behavior as there may be
cultural influences or different ways humans have learned to find mates. The sexual selection
theory assumes that a sexual partner is found for the sole reason of reproducing. Research in
this theory also lacks ecological validity. As mentioned before in the study by Wedekind, it is
highly unlikely a woman will find a mate through the act of smelling shirts and rating their smell.
Experiments in this theory also may cause researchers to be susceptible to confirmation bias,
as they see what they expect to see. A strength of this theory, however, would be its
generalizability. Through these studies, it is clear that the sexual selection evolution argument
can explain human mating behavior, as humans look for mates that will allow for reproduction
and healthy offspring.