EVOLUTION OF MATE SELECTION THEORY

Evolution of Mate Selection Theory

Evolution of Mate Selection Theory

Introduction

One likely explanation for the existence of wit as a species-typical human capproficiency anxieties its proficiency to encourage social bonding and cohesion. This may talk an benefit on the one-by-one wit producer or appreciator, through an implicit pattern of group selection. Humor's proficiency to provoke great pleasure and to leverage the thoughts and emotions of the listener give the humor-producer some clear social advantages inside a particular social context, even when the humor appears sort of stupid outside that context. For example, Provine (1996, 2000) has discovered that the vast majority of laughing out loud in natural backgrounds is triggered by apparently banal remarks like “Look, it's Andre” or “I'll see you friends later.” Outside their immediate communal context, these do not seem very witty or comical at all. However, joking at such comments can function “to alleviate social tensions, to show amicable intent, and to reinforce communal bonds” (McGhee, 1979,p. 103). Moreover, some have argued that wit has more to do with social “good-heartedness” (Storey, 2002,p. 320) than with creative ”wit” (at least in the United States, but possibly not in Britain!). Indeed, in marital connections, humor seems to encourage intimacy, belonging, and cohesiveness, rather than hilarity (Ziv, 1988a). So if in multi-person assemblies or dyads, one could argue that humor's playfulness provides a communally binding force which, under ancestral situation, would have promoted the one-by-one or inclusive fitness of the person expressing it (Caron, 2002).

Discussion

Let's face it: most persons think wit is sexy. One need not scour countless technical journal items to reach this conclusion. Oballpoint your favorite bulletin or magazine to the “Personals” section and you are compelled to glimpse acompelleding of people looking for a “good sense of wit” in a promise mate. Alternatively, do an impromptu pilot study and ask the next 10 persons you rendezvous how high humor ranks on their registers of significant mate characteristics; you will expected get similar outcomes. Research has confirmed that a good sense of humor is an significant human friend fondness worldwide (Asia: Toro-Morn & Sprecher, 2003; Europe: Todosijevik, Snezana, & Arancic, 2003; North America: Regan & Joshi, 2002). When persons are inquired to rate the importance of various traits for loving relationships, a good sense of wit is consistently at or beside the peak of their registers (Hewitt, 1958; Hansen, 1977; Goodwin, 1990; Smith, Waldorf, & Trembath, 1990), occasionally outranking physical attractiveness (Sprecher & Regan, 2002; Toro-Morn & Sprecher, 2003). There is furthermore clues that the fondness for funniness may be more powerful in searching romantic partners than in searching platonic friends (Sprecher & Regan, 2002). Further, the preference for humor appears to boost with the length of the connection: we seem to worth humor especially in long-term friends (Kenrick, Sadalla, Groth, & Trost, 1990).

While wit might function in these ways, this social-bonding view has a couple of problems. First, its reliance on an implicit pattern of assembly selection needs ...