Documentary on Sexual Selection - Term Paper Example

Analysis of a Documentary on Sexual Selection Introduction According the documentary it is important that we understand that three primary, distinct, in addition, interrelated emotion systems in the brain help us in mating, reproducing, and rearing of our young ones. For this reason, there is a great correlation between our emotional system with lust, attraction, and attachment. Each emotion system for this purpose is directly correlated with a specific neurobiology in the brain, which produces a certain feedback resulting in a desired behavior. Lust, Attraction, and Attachment Question 1 Lust or libido is the tendency to crave for sex. The constant desire for sex is mainly associated with the hormones androgens and estrogens. The hormones are stimulated by the pituitary gland of the brain, which stimulate the production of these hormones (Marazziti D 1771). The hormones are then circulated in blood leading to increased desire and crave for sex. On the other hand, the attachment system is related to the passion and obsession that results from increasing energy and desire for a mating partner. Due to focus and attention to the desired mate, an attraction and exhilaration and craving union for the desired mate is developed. Scientifically, attraction results from increasing levels of neurotransmitters such as dopamine and norepinephrine in addition to low levels of serotonin. This craving can only be reduced if the individual engages in physical activities that consequently reduces the neurotransmitter levels. Moreover, the attraction levels will only reduce after the mate has accomplished the desire by engaging in sexual activity and inseminating. Attachment behavior in human is characterized by an individual developing a feeling of security, calmness with a tendency of social comfort. The attachment behavior is associated with the pituitary gland of the brain with neuropeptides hormones like oxytocin and vasopressin. These are hormones, which are associated with powerful constrictions of the smooth muscles. However, the hormones create a motive of affiliation, which is also able to sustain a relationship. The documentary highlights how a person can begin a sexual relationship with a partner and then develops a feeling of attachment. The attachment occurs due to increased levels of vasopressin in man resulting from increased sexual activity. Once the levels of vasopressin rise in a man, the levels of oxytocin rise in women. The increasing level of these hormones contributes to closeness and attachment especially after sexual intercourse. Question 2 Sexual selection involves attraction for mate and this determines survival to the next generation. Men are attracted to women through sight while women are looking for character while doing their selection. Visual attraction stimulates the brain and sexual arousal for men more than they do for women. In this case, most men are looking for the best hip to waist ratio. From the documentary, a researcher is sent to the streets with a four figures of women who have different but close waist to hip ration. The research concludes that most men are attracted to women who have a larger (0.7) hip to waist ratio (National Geographic Naked Science: Whats Sexy). It is believed that these women are more likely to bear babies, conceive early in life, and have fewer miscarriages as opposed to their counterparts with a less ration. Hormonal markers such as a well formed lip, a defined cheek and a sizable breast also play a role in attraction for the males. The hormone estrogen shapes these features. On the other hand, males especially boys reaching puberty develop prominent cheek bones, a strong jaw, and broad shoulders aided with the hormone testosterone produced by the testis. These are the marker signs in males and they symbolize dominance. A male with these characters is perceived as a healthy person who is able to give rise to healthy offspring. However, a woman is not just attracted to looks but also seeking other values like reliability, kindness, and caring and a patient father for her children. All these cannot be decided by just looks and therefore women in their brains develop a memory map of the behavior of the man she is in love with. Moreover, women are not just contended with the character and looks but also status. Rich powerful men are more attractive to women as they are able to take care of the family with their wealth. This means that each gender is striving for survival for the fittest. Everyone is looking for a partner with strong genes that can be passed on to the next generation and this involves acquiring the best characteristics. The documentary also highlights how humans are able to determine the best genes that can be can be passed to the next generation. From an experiment conducted, it was found that women are getting attracted to men with different immune system. This can simply be identified through our noses especially by smelling the sweat of our mates. It was found that women can easily identify the different immune system through the pheromones which are produced in our sweat. The hormones play a vital role in sexual attraction and this therefore means that through smelling a woman can identify a man with an immune system, which is different from her hence, get attracted to him. Moreover, a person who inherits a variety of genes is more advantaged than a person who has only a single immune system. Women prefer the latter since their children immune system is bolstered with the variation. Women can also smell symmetry and they prefer men who are more symmetrical because symmetry attracts handsomeness in men. Symmetry also means reliability hence a man who is more symmetrical is more reliable. From a similar study conducted it was concluded that men with great symmetry and more attractive contained a variety of immunity in their blood system. Question 3 From another research, it was noted that feelings of fear and anxiety could initiate the process of lust, which is stimulated by testis in males and ovaries in women. Due to fear and anxiety, people look more attractive and this creates a sexual desire. Fear makes the women more attractive to the men. In addition to this, creativity, which is related to the size of the brain, is an important fact that has continued to shape our male selection. It is proposed that animals with larger brains spend more time attracting their sexual partners. This could be through songs and language. For this reason, it is concluded that the higher brain intensity is more intelligent and more attractive to a sexual partners. It is for this reason that many artists have more than one sexual partners because of their creativity. Kindness is also another factor that is considered while selecting our mates. It is argued that kindness has something to do with good genes. It is easier to fake looks and intelligence but a moral virtue like kindness is just too difficult to fake. Question 4 The documentary was very informative. It taught me most of the things that I had no idea about. Moreover, I agreed with some of the facts presented especially on lust, attachment, and romantic love. I agreed with the authors of this documentary on the role of hormones in controlling and selecting our sexual partners. I also agree with the scientists about the continuous sexual activity as a means of attachment but I did not know that hormones vasopressin and oxytocin were involved in ensuring a continued sexual attraction and reliability. Several questions came up while I was watching the documentary and I am glad that I was answered as I continued watching. I was concerned about the high number of break ups in most young couples and teenage friends. I was also concerned about why we cheat in marriages despite undergoing a very long and tedious procedure of selecting our mates. I also thought that fear and anxiety makes a person more unattractive only to realize that they increase attractiveness. Moreover, I was also astonished to find out that women become more attractive just before ovulation due to their symmetry. In conclusion, I enjoyed watching this documentary and I have learnt a lot from it. Works Cited Marazziti D, Akiskal DH, Rossi A, Cassano GB. "Alteration of the platelet serotonin transporter in romantic love." Psychological Medicine (2009): Vol 29: pp.741-745. National Geographic Naked Science: Whats Sexy. 2 May 2012. 2013 . Read More