runaway selection

a theory of female mate selection proposing that certain male traits with little or no survival advantage are nonetheless so sexually attractive to females that they choose mates with these traits and thereby ensure male offspring with the same attractive traits. The theory attempts to explain the rapid (runaway) evolution of disadvantageous male traits in some species (e.g., the long, colorful, but cumbersome tails of peacocks). Compare good genes hypothesis. [proposed by Ronald Aylmer Fisher]

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Psychology term of the day

March 16th 2025

symptom specificity

a hypothesis stating that people with psychosomatic disorders display abnormal responses to stress in particular physiological systems. According to this hypothesis, a person’s complaints will center around a particular organ (e.g., the heart) and set of related symptoms (e.g., cardiovascular symptoms) rather than involving a variety of complaints about different organs or systems.