Does sexual selection explain human sex differences in aggression?
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Oxford CEBM level 5 (theoretical synthesis and narrative review without primary empirical data)
PubMed 19691899 · doi:10.1017/S0140525X09990951
What was done
The author presents a theoretical argument comparing sexual selection theory against the biosocial version of social role theory to explain human sex differences in the development, magnitude, causation, and context-dependent variability of physical and partner aggression.
What was found
No primary empirical data or quantitative values are reported in the abstract. The author argues that sex differences in physical aggression increase with physical risk, emerge early in life, peak in young adulthood, and align with evolutionary traits such as reproductive variance, maturation rates, threat displays, and mortality rates, while partner aggression reflects reproductive conflict modified by societal gender roles.
Why it matters
The paper articulates an evolutionary framework that integrates sexual selection and life history theory to account for cross-national and developmental patterns in human aggression.
Limits
This is a theoretical narrative without systematic review methodology, meta-analytic pooling, or new empirical data. The abstract provides no sample sizes, effect sizes, or quantitative metrics to evaluate the claims.
Cited by
- supports While average differences in aggressiveness between sexes are small, individuals at the extreme tails of aggression and sexual predation are predominantly male.