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Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science pp 1–5Cite as

Male Protection

  • Living reference work entry
  • First Online:

  • 64 Accesses

Synonyms

Male defense; Male guarding; Male safety

Definition

The act through which males protect themselves and/or others.

Introduction

Natural selection favors those physical and psychological traits that are beneficial in terms of reproduction and survival (Dobzhansky 1956). Human ancestral times were characterized by prevalent violence, consisting both of within and between group conflict (Duntley and Shackelford 2012; LeBlanc 2003; Puts 2010). As a result, both men’s and women’s psychology could have been influenced by such violent contexts, leading to preferences for certain physical traits related to protection from partners or allies (men’s: Borráz-León et al. 2014; women’s: Buss 1994).

Male Protection for Females

On average, women are shorter, smaller in size, less aggressive, and have a weaker body composition compared to men (Daly and Wilson 1988). Evidence from archeological archives suggests that damage of property, homicide, and rape were common practices during human...

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, UK

    Martha Lucia Borras Guevara

  2. Department of Psychology, Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster, PA, USA

    Carlota Batres

Authors
  1. Martha Lucia Borras Guevara
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  2. Carlota Batres
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Martha Lucia Borras Guevara .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

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

    Todd K. Shackelford

  2. Rochester, MI, USA

    Viviana A. Weekes-Shackelford

Section Editor information

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

    Tara DeLecce

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Borras Guevara, M.L., Batres, C. (2018). Male Protection. In: Shackelford, T., Weekes-Shackelford, V. (eds) Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_280-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_280-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-16999-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-16999-6

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Behavioral Science and PsychologyReference Module Humanities and Social SciencesReference Module Business, Economics and Social Sciences

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