Discuss one evolutionary explanation of one behaviour.

Refer to the paper 1 section B assessment criteria when awarding marks. These can be found under the “Your tests” tab > supplemental materials.

The command term “discuss” requires candidates to offer a considered review of one evolutionary explanation of one behaviour.

Relevant behaviour that could be discussed includes, but is not limited to:

• human mating behaviours (Buss, 1990)
• emotions (for example, disgust, Fessler, 2006; universality of emotional expressions, Ekman and Frieson, 1971)
• abnormal behaviour (for example, depression, Andrews and Thompson, 2009; phobias, Seligman, 1971)
• prosocial behaviour (Dawkins, 1976).

Discussion points may include, but are not limited to:

• examining the underlying assumptions
• the validity of evidence in support of the explanation
• discussion of its strengths and limitations
• the difficulties of carrying out empirical research
• the debate of generalizing from animals to human behaviour
• the role of culture in behaviour
• limitations of a reductionist argument

Candidates may discuss a specific emotional or dysfunctional behaviour such as disgust or depression or may discuss emotional or dysfunctional behaviour in general. Both approaches are equally acceptable.

If a candidate addresses more than one specific behaviour, credit should be given only to the first behaviour addressed.

If a candidate addresses more than one evolutionary explanation of behaviour, credit should be given only to the first discussion. However, candidates may address other explanations of the same behaviour and be awarded marks for these as long as they are clearly used to discuss the evolutionary explanation addressed in the response.