Does sexual selection explain human sex differences in aggression?
Abstract
I argue that the magnitude and nature of sex differences in aggression, their development, causation, and variability, can be better explained by sexual selection than by the alternative biosocial version of social role theory. Thus, sex differences in physical aggression increase with the degree of risk, occur early in life, peak in young adulthood, and are likely to be mediated by greater male impulsiveness, and greater female fear of physical danger. Male variability in physical aggression is consistent with an alternative life history perspective, and context-dependent variability with responses to reproductive competition, although some variability follows the internal and external influences of social roles. Other sex differences, in variance in reproductive output, threat displays, size and strength, maturation rates, and mortality and conception rates, all indicate that male aggression is part of a sexually selected adaptive complex. Physical aggression between partners can be explained using different evolutionary principles, arising from the conflicts of interest between males and females entering a reproductive alliance, combined with variability following differences in societal gender roles. In this case, social roles are particularly important since they enable both the relatively equality in physical aggression between partners from Western nations, and the considerable cross-national variability, to be explained.
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Sexual competition takes different forms in males and females, with males engaging in more physical aggression and substantially higher risk-taking.
“In addition, sexual competition takes different forms in males and females, with males engaging in more physical aggression and substantially higher levels of risk-taking behavior (e.g., Archer, 2009; Byrnes et al., 1999; Kruger and Nesse, 2006; Wilson et al., 2002).”
From The Adaptive Calibration Model of stress responsivity (2011) · cites this paper as Archer, 2009
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- Authors
- Archer, J.
- Affiliations
- University of Lancashire (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Archer, John
- ORCID
- Archer, John
- Venue
- Behavioral and Brain Sciences
- Publisher
- Cambridge University Press (CUP)
- Published
- 2009-08
- Volume
- 32
- Issue
- 3-4
- Pages
- 249-266
- ISSN
- 0140-525X (ISSN-L)
- 1469-1825
- OpenAlex
- W2005139579
- Cited by
- 607
- References
- 16
- Citations by year
- 2026: 14 · 2025: 14 · 2024: 23 · 2023: 27 · 2022: 29 · 2021: 49 · 2020: 81 · 2019: 28 · 2018: 31 · 2017: 40 · 2016: 41 · 2015: 53 · 2014: 28 · 2013: 41 · 2012: 48
- FWCI
- 44.78
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Behavioral and Brain Sciences (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- CLOK (University of Central Lancashire) (acceptedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Evolutionary Psychology and Human Behavior
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics › Animal Behavior and Reproduction
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Evolutionary Game Theory and Cooperation
- Keywords
- sexual selection, sex differences in aggression, physical aggression, social role theory, life history, reproductive competition, reproductive output, threat display, sexual size dimorphism, maturation rate, partner aggression, gender roles, evolutionary psychology
- MeSH terms
- Adaptation, Psychological, Aggression, Aging, Animals, Biological Evolution, Female, Humans, Individuality, Male, Marriage, Psychological Theory, Sexual Behavior, Sex Characteristics, Social Behavior, Social Environment, Meta-Analysis as Topic, Spouses, Body Size, Mating Preference, Animal, Muscle Strength
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