Evolutionary Psychology Exam 1

How does EP explain work towards explaining behavior?

(1) Describe the features of past environments (e.g., what were the adaptive challenges for our species?) (2)Using this knowledge, determine the usefulness of particular solutions (certain patterns of thought or behavior in the past) (3)Establish the frequency of the behavior or characteristic in the present (4)If the characteristic had fitness enhancing qualities in the past, and is typical in the present, we conclude the trait has been selected for.

If you were a gene, what would enhance your replication?

(1) Ensure the survival of your body (its "survival machine" or vehicle) (2) Get it to reproduce, and (3) Help in the survival and reproduction of those "vehicles" that contain copies of you (i.e., your kin).

What are the five adaptive problems that modern evolutionary theory identifies?

(1)Problems of survival and growth (2)Problems of mating (3)Problems of parenting (4)Problems of aiding genetic relatives (5)Problems of group living

6 Sources of data for testing evolutionary hypotheses

-Archeological records -Data from hunter-gatherer societies free from western influences -observations of behavior in natural settings -Self-reports via interviews or questionnaires -Life history data and public records -Human products and creations

8 methods of research in EP

-Comparing different species on one dimension -Comparing males and females within one species -Compare individuals within a species -Cross-cultural methods (looking at universals of human nature) -Behavior genetics method (twin studies) -Compare same individuals in different contexts -Experimental methods -Physiological and brain imaging methods

three major misunderstandings about EP

-does not imply that human behavior is genetically determined -Does not imply that human traits are unchangeable -Current adaptations are adequate, and better than past rival adaptations, but are not ideally designed - the "ecological fallacy"

What makes people skeptical of accepting evolutionary psychology as the truth?

-genes can affect our mind and behavior, not just bodily structures -we are motivated by forces shaped by evolution that are outside of our awareness -the things that make us impressive are not automatic (i.e. love of our own children is not automatic)

four characteristics of adaptations

1 - there are genes for the adaptation (genetic basis) 2 - past environments selected for the adaptation 3- current environments are needed for the development and expression of the adaptation and most members of the species express it 4 - all adaptations have a function to perform

What are the four levels of explanation for behavior?

1. Immediate influence of behavior (what triggered it/antecedants) 2. Development or ontogeny of the behavior (1&2=proximate causes) 3. What is the behavior's function? 4. What are the evolutionary origins or phylogeny of the behavior (3&4=ultimate causes)

Bottom-up approach to generating and testing hypotheses

Also called reverse engineering .. we begin with an observation, and then generate an evolutionary explanation of why it exists, always in terms of its adaptive function (how it aided in S&R). So, it tries to explain or answer why the phenomenon occurs

Critical Period

An optimal period shortly after birth when an organism's exposure to certain stimuli or experiences produces proper development (ex. language acquisition or child-parent attachment)

functional analysis

Analysis of the mind proceeds best if we identity, describe, and explain human psychological characteristics by focusing on their function - identify the specific adaptive problems they evolved to solve

By-products

Characteristics that do not solve adaptive problems and do not have "functional design"; they are "carried along" with characteristics that do have such designs because they happen to have been coupled or "tagged along" with those adaptations. Note: not all biological or universal traits are adaptations

Differential Reproductive Success

Differences that make you more compatible with the environment. So advantages for survival and reproduction will be passed on, if they were genetically-based

Why is finding converging evidence important to EP?

Every method and source of data for testing evolutionary hypotheses has strengths and weakness. For example, fossil record shows physical traces but has gaps, self-report lets us "look" inside our minds but can be distorted

What is the premise of evolutionary psychology

Evolutionary psychologists don't study the physiological mechanisms of our brain and our emotions but rather the development of anger in certain situations, for example, and how those emotions were helpful for our ancestors.

What is the downfall of evolutionary psychology?

Heavy reliance on post-hoc explanations EP can't re-create our ancestral environments and manipulate changes and observe effects Can only speculate

Environment of Evolutionary Adaptedness (EEA)

It is the composite of selection pressures or environmental challenges that occurred during our evolution. These challenges were responsible for producing and shaping adaptations, many of which we have with us today. The past (partially) explains the present. EEA is when human nature was formed. We have a personal and evolutionary mind.

Darwin's two key mechanisms for evolutionary change

Natural selection, sexual selection

Modules

Psychological adaptations for solving evolutionary important problems, problems of survival and reproduction

Noise

Random effects produced by forces such as chance mutations, sudden and unprecedented changes in the environment, or chance effects during development

How must "survival of the fittest" be modified

Reproduction, not just survival, is what moves evolution Fitness refers to the fit between the individual and the environment - the fittest are the ones best able to cope with their environment. Maybe you're great at survival, but if you can't attract a mate, you fail the test of reproduction "Reproduction of those best suited to the prevailing environment"

Triver's Reciprocal altruism

The basis for altruism for non-kin. provided a Darwinian account of how help to non-relatives (mutual assistance and cooperation) can evolve under some circumstances

Genotype

The collection of an organism's genes, arranged on chromosomes

Interactionism

The environment matters, but the nature of the person or animal doing the responding or the learning also matters. Genes AND environment interacting produce behavior. Genes influence human behavior and human behaviors influence how genes are expressed

Imprinting

The process by which certain animals form attachments during a critical period very early in life - preprogrammed learning

examples of by-products

Things like masturbation, daydreaming, taking joy in things like theater, belly button, etc.

Top-down approach to generating and testing hypotheses

This approach goes from broad theory to possible, narrow and specific, observations. Do the observations support the prediction derived from the theory?

Three necessary conditions for evolution by natural selection to occur

Variation, inheritance, selection

Three products of evolution

adaptations, by-products, and noise

Why are psychological adaptations so specific?

because the adaptive problems faced in the EEA were highly specific. Psychological adaptations were, still are, triggered by very specific stimuli. If it weren't specific, instead of being afraid of snakes we would be afraid of all things, and that's not helpful to S&R.

What is the ultimate cause of a child not wanting to go to bed

being afraid of the dark had S&R advantages for our ancestors because of the bad things that happened in the dark making those that were afraid/cautious more likely to survive.

What is the proximal cause of a child not wanting to go to bed

being in the dark causes increased heart rate, respiration, and anxiety levels

What is the result of having a competitive advantage?

better at (a) survival and (b) leave the most offspring. That is, procreate at a higher rate and eventually replace less well-adapted animals of the same species.

Adaptation

built by many small accumulating changes over time; so we can say they are ... (1)Evolved solutions (2)To specific problems (3)That contribute, directly or indirectly, to reproductive success (4)Whose purpose is to further the replication of genes

What ultimate goal does an evolved psychological mechanism work to achieve?

directed toward the solution of a specific adaptive problem

Ultimate cause

explain behavior in terms of things that were adaptive for a species. It takes the view that the evolutionary past partially explains the present, and asks: What is the behavior's evolutionary advantage for a species? How did it aid in S&R? It deals with why questions.

Proximal cause

focus more on "close to the action" or immediate explanatory mechanisms and answer questions about how something works

Gene's eye view of natural selection

from a gene perspective, kin favoring is a selfish act. Wanting the genes to be passed on. For example, self-sacrifice for one's child.

Why does sexual selection exist?

greater male competition for access to females and their rare gametes (only 100s to 1000s of eggs in a lifetime) and parental investment that is important to the continuing of the genes

preferential choice/selective mate choice/female choice

individuals with qualities that are preferred by the opposite sex are more likely to reproduce.

two key mechanisms of sexual selection

intra-sexual competition: competition against rivals inter-sexual selection: attracting a mate

natural selection

is the tendency for those best suited to the current environment to survive and produce more offspring ("differential reproductive success"). "shapes" the evolution of organisms by preserving those chance genetic variations that aid in survival and reproduction relative to others

What is the concept of modular minds?

minds consist of many mental processes, specialized functions, and specialized adaptations called modules

What is the naturalistic fallacy?

misconception that because something is natural (based on biology or evolution, like sex differences in mating) it must be good.

Phenotype

observable expression of a gene through its interaction with the environment. (psychologists study phenotypes)

what forms can the output of an evolved psychological mechanism take?

physiological activity, information to other psychological mechanisms, or overt behavior

What do evolutionary psychologists do?

search for evolved, species-typical modes of thought or ways of processing information that explain our behavior

Behavior genetics

studies individual differences and variability: how we differ from each other due to genes and environment. (twin studies)

Ethology

study of animal behavior from an evolutionary perspective --- a branch of biology Premise: Animal behaviors that were adaptive evolved and became characteristic of the species

sexual selection

that among the range of inherited trait variations, those that lead to successful mating will be passed on to succeeding generations

Which is the unit of natural selection, the organism or the gene?

the gene trumps the organism. We do not use DNA to reproduce ourselves; DNA uses us to reproduce itself. A gene that somehow makes its surrounding body more fit is more likely to be copied than one that does not.

Inclusive Fitness

the sum of an individual's actions on the reproductive success of genetic relatives, weighted by the degree of genetic relatedness

Parental investment

the time, materials and effort an organism gives to its offspring. It is a gene's way of taking care of itself.

What sort of problems do many of our adaptations deal with?

those that were pertinent to our hunter-gatherer ancestors

how is the input of an evolved psychological mechanism transformed?

through decision rules into output, in an "if-then" format. Ex. If I see a snake then I will run.

What were Darwin's driving factors that caused him to come up with the sexual selection theory?

trying to account for complex and costly ornaments that are pointless to survival (example: male peacocks) why do males and females look so different in the same species? how do poor-survival traits continue to evolve?

Modern Evolutionary Theory

unification of the ideas of genetics (gene inheritance) and Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection. Its key insight is that natural selection has shaped behaviors that maximize reproductive success