Leiden University Student Repository

Loon, Hedwig van (2025)

Evolutionary Perspectives on Parental Corporal Punishment: Testing Principles of the Recalibration Theory of Anger and the Reproductive Value

Bachelor thesis | Security Studies (BSc)

This study examines the applicability of two evolutionary principles, the recalibration theory of anger and the reproductive value (RV), in explaining patterns of parental corporal punishment (CP), using data from the Human Relations Area Files (HRAF). Both evolutionary principles are described in terms of their theoretical background and predicted outcomes. The retrieved predictions are evaluated in terms of (a) the sex of the parent and the severity of the CP, and (b) the age of the children and the frequency of CP. A total of 80 paragraphs were subjected to qualitative coding in order to extract the variables in question. Subsequently, the results of the coding were statistically tested using the Mann-Whitney U Test and the Chi-square test for goodness of fit. The analysis revealed a statistically significant difference in the severity of punishments administered by fathers and mothers. Specifically, fathers were found to be more likely to administer more severe punishments. This...Show moreThis study examines the applicability of two evolutionary principles, the recalibration theory of anger and the reproductive value (RV), in explaining patterns of parental corporal punishment (CP), using data from the Human Relations Area Files (HRAF). Both evolutionary principles are described in terms of their theoretical background and predicted outcomes. The retrieved predictions are evaluated in terms of (a) the sex of the parent and the severity of the CP, and (b) the age of the children and the frequency of CP. A total of 80 paragraphs were subjected to qualitative coding in order to extract the variables in question. Subsequently, the results of the coding were statistically tested using the Mann-Whitney U Test and the Chi-square test for goodness of fit. The analysis revealed a statistically significant difference in the severity of punishments administered by fathers and mothers. Specifically, fathers were found to be more likely to administer more severe punishments. This finding provides empirical support for the predictions of the recalibration theory of anger. The analysis also demonstrated that the empirical distribution of age did not align with the distribution derived from the RV. And therefore concluding that the principle of RV is not applicable for understanding patterns of parental CP.Show less

Author

Loon, Hedwig van

Faculty

Faculty of Governance and Global Affairs

Supervisors

Anfuso, C.

ECTS Credits

15

Language

en