handicap principle

proper noun

A hypothesis attempting to explain how evolution may lead to "honest" or reliable signalling between animals which have an obvious motivation to bluff or deceive each other. It suggests that costly signals must be reliable, costing the signaller something that could not be afforded by an individual with less of a particular trait.

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Meanings

proper nounthe handicap principle
  1. A hypothesis attempting to explain how evolution may lead to "honest" or reliable signalling between animals which have an obvious motivation to bluff or deceive each other. It suggests that costly signals must be reliable, costing the signaller something that could not be afforded by an individual with less of a particular trait.
Cite this entry
APA

handicap principle. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/handicap%20principle

MLA

“handicap principle.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/handicap%20principle. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “handicap principle,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/handicap%20principle.

Source: handicap principle on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.