Table 1 Relationship Types and Associated Evolutionary Opportunities and Threats Relationship Typical Relationship Key Evolutionary Relationship Relationship Relationship-Specific Domain Dyads Tasks Theories Opportunities Threats Sensitivities Mate Dating Attract desirable Inter-Sexual Selection, Sexual/reproductive Abandonment after Sensitivity to mate partner’s Couple romantic partner Parental Investment, access, resource access pregnancy, sexually value, sexual strategy, honest Attraction Strategic Pluralism, transmitted diseases, costly signaling, other mating Sexual Strategies partner deception opportunities Mate Married Preserve alliance Attachment Theory, Long-term parental Sexual infidelity, Sensitivity to change partner’s Couple with romantic partner Strategic Interference alliance, instrumental & resource infidelity, in relative mate value, cues to Retention Theory emotional support cuckoldry infidelity, mate-poaching, infertility, mating ecology Kin Care Successfully raise Kin Selection, Inclusive fitness, High costs of close Sensitivity to kin member’s children and care for Conflict account-free resource kin, parasitism of relatedness, age, sex, ability, Siblings relatives sharing, cooperative kinship, inbreeding need, health, and other cues to breeding enhancing inclusive fitness Friends, Develop & maintain Reciprocal Altruism, Shared resources, Free-riding cheaters, Sensitivity to equity and unfair Coalition Teammates cooperative alliances Social Contract Theory, material support, excessive demands, exchanges, trustworthiness, Intergroup Conflict instrumental support, social rejection, rejection, competence, group protection stigmatization power Status Gain and maintain Intra-Sexual Selection, Reputation-enhancing Loss of reputation, Sensitivity to position in social prestige & Dominance Hierarchy alliances, moving up respect, and power hierarchies, leadership cues in power status hierarchies others, other status opportunities
Table 1 Relationship Types and Associated Evolutionary Opportunities and Threats Relationship Domain Typical Dyads Relationship Tasks Key Evolutionary Theories Relationship Opportunities Relationship Threats Relationship-Specific Sensitivities Mate Attraction Dating Couple Attract desirable romantic partner Inter-Sexual Selection, Parental Investment, Strategic Pluralism, Sexual Strategies Sexual/reproductive access, resource access Abandonment after pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, partner deception Sensitivity to partner’s mate value, sexual strategy, honest costly signaling, other mating opportunities Mate Retention Married Couple Preserve alliance with romantic partner Attachment Theory, Strategic Interference Theory Long-term parental alliance, instrumental & emotional support Sexual infidelity, resource infidelity, cuckoldry Sensitivity to partner’s change in relative mate value, cues to infidelity, mate-poaching, infertility, mating ecology Kin Care Siblings Successfully raise children and care for relatives Kin Selection, Conflict Inclusive fitness, account-free resource sharing, cooperative breeding High costs of close kin, parasitism of kinship, inbreeding Sensitivity to kin member’s relatedness, age, sex, ability, need, health, and other cues to enhancing inclusive fitness Coalition Friends, Teammates Develop & maintain cooperative alliances Reciprocal Altruism, Social Contract Theory, Intergroup Conflict Shared resources, material support, instrumental support, protection Free-riding cheaters, excessive demands, social rejection, stigmatization Sensitivity to equity and unfair exchanges, trustworthiness, rejection, competence, group power Status Gain and maintain social prestige & power Intra-Sexual Selection, Dominance Hierarchy Reputation-enhancing alliances, moving up status hierarchies Loss of reputation, respect, and power Sensitivity to position in hierarchies, leadership cues in others, other status opportunities