The Athlete and the Spectator Inside the Man
A Cross-Cultural Investigation of the Evolutionary Origins of Athletic Behavior
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 7738440 |
|---|---|
| Authors | M Apostolou (0000-0002-0685-1848, University of Nicosia, Cyprus, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2015 |
| Volume | 49 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 151-173 |
| Publication date | 2015-04-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Cross-Cultural Research (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1069-3971 • E-ISSN: 1552-3578 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/1069397114536516 |
| OpenAlex | W2013571584 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 9 |
| References cited | 25 |
Athletic contests constitute an important aspect of human affairs. However, the evolutionary origins of athletic behavior, that is, behavior which is associated with participating in and watching athletic contests, are rather obscure, as they do not seem to contribute directly to increasing survival or reproductive success. This article argues that athletic behavior has been shaped in ancestral times jointly by intrasexual selection forces, where men look for potential allies, and intersexual selection forces, where men look for spouses for their female relatives. On the basis of this evolutionary framework, a number of hypotheses are derived: First, men are more interested than women in taking part in and watching sports. In addition, men are more interested than women in taking part in and watching competitive sports than non-competitive sports, and are more interested in team sports than individual sports. Finally, men and women differ in their motives for participating in sports, while the sex differences in athletic behavior between men and women are consistent across different cultures. Evidence from a sample composed of 37 different countries provides support for all hypotheses
Biology · Evolutionary psychology · Selection (genetic algorithm · Sexual selection · Animal Behavior and Reproduction · Evolutionary Psychology and Human Behavior · Psychology · Social Psychology · Sports, Gender, and Society · Ecology
Mating Rivalry
Beyond Boundaries
The invisibility of women in legislations and National Conferences of sport and leisure in Brazil
Toward a Natural History of Team Sports
University Sports Rivalries Provide Insights on Coalitional Psychology
May God Guide Our Guns
Coalitional Play Fighting and the Evolution of Coalitional Intergroup Aggression
Sex Differences in Sport Remain When Accounting for Countries’ Gender Inequality
Evolutionary and social functions of gaming
Student athletes claim to have more sexual partners than other students
Sexual selection under parental choice in agropastoral societies
Sexual Selection
Sports Spectators
Sexual selection under parental choice
An integrative analysis of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation in sport
Evolutionary History of Hunter-Gatherer Marriage Practices
The Handicap Principle
The past explains the present
The dominance dilemma
Sex Differences in Sports Across 50 Societies
The evolution of desire
Parental choice
| Unique citing works | 9 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,9 |
| Citation span | 2016 - 2026 (11) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 9 |