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Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science pp 1–2Cite as

Tactics Versus Strategies

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Definition

Strategy refers to a set of behavioral adaptations while tactics are the individual actions taken to pursue a strategy (Gangestad and Simpson 2000).

Introduction

In the context of evolutionary behavior, strategy refers to a set of adaptations that determine the range of behaviors that an organism may employ (i.e., to fight, flee, or hide). Tactic refers to the specific behavior used within that organism’s preset strategy; for example, fighting or retreating in the face of competitor conflict (Dawkins 1999). The two terms are closely related, often used in conjunction while discussing conflict related to intrasexual and intersexual selection of mates (Taborsky et al. 2008).

Strategies and Tactics

The distinction between strategy and tactic in terms of behavioral ecology can be, at times, ambiguous and difficult to grasp. Various authors (Dawkins 1999; Dominey 1984; Taborsky et al. 2008) have acknowledged the potential to confuse the terms with one another. In an attempt to...

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References

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, USA

    William Felton & Brian Pugliese

Authors
  1. William Felton
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  2. Brian Pugliese
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to William Felton .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Oakland University, Rochester, Michigan, USA

    Todd K. Shackelford

  2. Rochester, Michigan, USA

    Viviana A. Weekes-Shackelford

Section Editor information

  1. University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, USA

    Russell Jackson

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Felton, W., Pugliese, B. (2017). Tactics Versus Strategies. In: Shackelford, T., Weekes-Shackelford, V. (eds) Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_2692-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_2692-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-16999-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-16999-6

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