Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-45l2p Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-26T07:57:38.946Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Does sexual selection explain why human aggression peaks in early childhood?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 August 2009

Christina Behme
Christina Behme
Affiliation:
Department of Philosophy, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4P9, Canada. Christina.Behme@dal.ca
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Archer provides seemingly compelling evidence for his claim that sexual selection explains sex differences in human aggression better than social role theory. I challenge Archer's interpretation of some of this evidence. I argue that the same evidence could be used to support the claim that what has been selected for is the ability to curb aggression and discuss implications for Archer's theory.

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 32 , Issue 3-4 , August 2009 , pp. 267 - 268
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2009

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Alink, L. R. A., Mesman, J., van, Zeijl, J., Stolk, M. N., Juffer, F., Koot, H. M., Bakermans-Kranenburg, M. J. & van IJzendoorn, M. H. (2006) The early childhood aggression curve: Development of physical aggression in 10- to 50-month-old children. Child Development 77(4):954–66.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Andersson, M. (1994) Sexual selection. Princeton University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Arnold, D. (1997) Co-occurrence of externalizing behavior problems and emergent academic difficulties in young high-risk boys: A preliminary evaluation of patterns and mechanisms. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology 18:317–30.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bergeron, N. & Schneider, B. (2005) Explaining cross-national differences in peer-directed aggression: A quantitative synthesis. Aggressive Behavior 2:116–37.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chen, X., Chen, H., Liu, M. & Wang, L. (2002) Noncompliance and child-rearing attitudes as predictors of aggressive behaviour: A longitudinal study in Chinese children. International Journal of Behavioral Development 26:225–33.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cornwell, R. & Perrett, D. (2008) Sexy sons and sexy daughters: The influence of parents' facial characteristics on offspring. Animal Behaviour 76:1843–53.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Côté, S., Vaillancourt, T., LeBlanc, J. C., Nagin, D. S. & Tremblay, R. E. (2006) The development of physical aggression from toddlerhood to pre-adolescence: A nation wide longitudinal study of Canadian children. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology 34(1):71–85.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cronin, H. (1991) The ant and the peacock: Altruism and sexual selection from Darwin to today. Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Cummings, M., Iannotti, R. & Zahn-Waxler, C. (1989) Aggression between peers in early childhood: Individual continuity and developmental change. Child Development 60:887–95.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Darwin, C. (1871/1901) The descent of man, and selection in relation to sex. Murray. Available online at: http://www.infidels.org/library/historical/charles_darwin/descent_of_man/chapter_08.html.Google Scholar
Fagot, B. (1984) The consequents of problem behavior in toddler children. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology 12:385–96.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fagot, B. & Hagan, R. (1985) Aggression in toddlers: Responses to the assertive acts of boys and girls. Sex Roles 12:341–52.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hartup, W. (1974) Aggression in childhood: Developmental perspectives. American Psychologist 29:336–41.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hartup, W. (2005) The development of aggression: Where do we stand? In: Developmental origins of aggression, ed. Tremblay, W., Hartup, W. & Archer, J., pp. 3–22. Guilford.Google Scholar
Hinshaw, S. (1992) Externalizing behavior problems and academic underachievement in childhood and adolescence: Causal relationships and underlying mechanisms. Psychological Bulletin 111:127–55.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Holmberg, M. (1980) The development of social interchange patterns from 12 to 42 months. Child Development 52:448–56.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hubbard, R. (1990) The politics of women's biology. Rutgers University Press.Google Scholar
Johnstone, R. (1995) Sexual selection, honest advertisement and the handicap principle: Reviewing the evidence. Biological Reviews 70:1–65.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kirkpatrick, M. & Ryan, M. (1991) The evolution of mating preferences and the paradox of the lek. Nature 350:33–38.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Leonard, J. (2005) Bateman's principle and simultaneous hermaphrodites: A paradox. Integrative and Comparative Biology 45:856–73.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lewis, M., Alessandri, S. & Sullivan, M. (1990) Violation of expectancy, loss of control, and anger expressions in young infants. Developmental Psychology 26:745–51.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Miller, G. F. (2006) Debating sexual selection and mating strategies. Science 312:693.Google ScholarPubMed
Ostrov, J. & Keating, C. (2004) Gender differences in preschool aggression during free play and structured interactions: An observational study. Social Development 13:255–77.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Parens, H. (2008) The development of aggression in early childhood. Jason Aronson.Google Scholar
Roughgarden, J., Oisha, M. & Akcay, E. (2006) Reproductive social behavior: Cooperative games to replace sexual selection. Science 311:965–69.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Serbin, L. A., O'Leary, K., Kent, R. & Tonick, I. (1973) A comparison of teacher response to the pre-academic and problem behaviours of boys and girls. Child Development 44:796–804.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sroufe, L. (1995) Emotional development. The organization of emotional life in the early years. Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Stamos, D. (2008) Evolution and the big questions: Sex, race, religion, and other matters. Blackwell.Google Scholar
Stenberg, C. & Campos, J. (1990) The development of anger expressions in infancy. In: Psychological and biological approaches to emotions, ed. Stein, N., Leventhal, B. & Trabasso, T., pp. 247–82. Erlbaum.Google Scholar
Stenberg, C., Campos, J. & Emde, R. N. (1983) The facial expression of anger in seven-month-old infants. Child Development 54:178–84.Google ScholarPubMed
Stevenson, J., Richman, N. & Graham, P. (1985) Behaviour problems and language abilities at three years and behavioral deviance at eight years. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry 26:215–30.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tremblay, R. E., Japel, C., Pérusse, D., McDuff, P., Boivin, M., Zoccolillo, M. & Montplaisir, J. (1999) The search for the age of “onset” of physical aggression: Rousseau and Bandura revisted. Criminal Behavior and Mental Health 9(1):8–23.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tremblay, R. E., Nagin, D., Seguin, J., Zoccolillo, M., Zelazo, P., Boivin, M., Perusse, D. & Japel, C. (2004) Physical aggression during early childhood: Trajectories and predictors. Pediatrics 114:43–50.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wade, M. & Shuster, S. (2002) The evolution of parental care in the context of sexual selection: A critical reassessment of parental investment theory. American Naturalist 160:285–92.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wallace, A. (1871) Review of The Descent of Man and Selection in Relation to Sex by Charles Darwin. Academy 2:177–83. Available at: http://www.wku.edu/~smithch/wallace/S186.htm.Google Scholar
Williams, G. (1975) Sex and evolution. Princeton University Press.Google ScholarPubMed