resource defense polygyny

a form of polygyny in nonhuman animals that can occur when some males defend areas containing sufficient resources to allow a number of females to breed successfully. A male defending sufficient resources is able to benefit from polygyny not by being more attractive or having better genes but because the resources he controls can feed multiple females and their offspring.

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Psychology term of the day

December 21st 2024

self-selection bias

a type of bias that can arise when study participants choose their own treatment conditions, rather than being randomly assigned. In such cases, it is impossible to state unambiguously that a study result is due to the treatment condition and not to the preexisting characteristics of those individuals who chose to be in this condition. Also called self-selection effect. See also sampling bias.