Questions and Answers
The tendency to think about behavior in terms of ______ is illustrated by two kinds of questions commonly asked about behavior.
dichotomies
The two common questions asked about behavior are: Is it physiological, or is it ______?
psychological
The idea that human processes fall into one of two categories, physiological or psychological, rose to prominence following the ______ Ages.
Dark
Renaissance scholars started to study things directly by ______ them.
Signup and view all the answers
René Descartes advocated a philosophy that divided the universe into physical matter and the human ______.
Signup and view all the answers
According to Descartes, the physical matter behaves according to the laws of ______.
Signup and view all the answers
The human mind, according to Cartesian Dualism, lacks physical substance and controls human ______.
Signup and view all the answers
Cartesian Dualism was sanctioned by the Roman ______, leading to the wider acceptance of the idea that the brain and the mind are separate entities.
Signup and view all the answers
Darwin's Theory of Evolution was published in 1859 in the book titled ______.
Signup and view all the answers
Some nonhuman species, particularly ______ species, possess abilities thought to be purely human.
Signup and view all the answers
Factors such as fetal environment, nutrition, and ______ can influence behavioral development.
Signup and view all the answers
Darwin suggested that species undergo ______ change from preexisting species.
Signup and view all the answers
Darwin documented the evolution of fossil records through increasingly recent geological ______.
Signup and view all the answers
The debate between inherited traits and learned behaviors is commonly referred to as the ______ issue.
Signup and view all the answers
Structural similarities among living species, such as the human hand and the bird's ______, suggest common ancestry.
Signup and view all the answers
Programs of ______ breeding have caused major changes in domestic plants and animals.
Signup and view all the answers
John B. Watson, the father of behaviorism, was committed to the ______ side of the nature-nurture issue.
Signup and view all the answers
European ethology, which studied instinctive behaviors, emphasized the role of ______ in behavioral development.
Signup and view all the answers
G.G. Gallup's research shows that even nonhumans can display considerable psychological ______.
Signup and view all the answers
The study of animal behavior in the wild is referred to as ______.
Signup and view all the answers
Two lines of evidence challenge the assumption that human psychological functioning is complex enough to be separate from the ______ brain.
Signup and view all the answers
In Oliver Sacks's account of 'the man who fell out of bed,' the patient suffered from ______, which affects awareness of body parts.
Signup and view all the answers
Asomatognosia typically involves the left side of the body and often results from damage to the right ______ lobe.
Signup and view all the answers
Some nonhuman primates possess abilities that were once thought to be purely ______.
Signup and view all the answers
Primates of the tribe that includes humans are the ______.
Signup and view all the answers
Homo is thought to be composed of at least eight species with 7 now ______.
Signup and view all the answers
The first Homo species are thought to have evolved from one species of ______ about 2 to 2.8 million years ago.
Signup and view all the answers
The pattern of mate bonding that is most prevalent in mammals is ______.
Signup and view all the answers
In some species, males and females form enduring mating ______ with particular partners.
Signup and view all the answers
Polyandry is a mating arrangement in which one female forms mating bonds with more than one ______.
Signup and view all the answers
Early Homo species existed outside of Africa for about ______ million years.
Signup and view all the answers
Modern humans began to migrate out of Africa about ______ years ago.
Signup and view all the answers
Polyandry occurs only in species where male contributions to reproduction are greater than those of the ______.
Signup and view all the answers
Monogamy is a mate-bonding pattern involving one male and one ______.
Signup and view all the answers
Approximately ______% of mammalian species are primarily monogamous.
Signup and view all the answers
Darwin did not understand how anatomical and behavioral characteristics are passed from parent to ______.
Signup and view all the answers
Gregor Mendel is known for his studies on inheritance in ______.
Signup and view all the answers
Dichotomous traits in pea plants occur in one form or the other, never in ______.
Signup and view all the answers
The dominant trait appeared in all of the first-generation ______.
Signup and view all the answers
The recessive trait appeared in about one-quarter of the ______-generation offspring.
Signup and view all the answers
Study Notes
Biology of Behavior
- Dichotomous thinking simplifies behavior analysis into two categories: physiological vs. psychological, and inherited vs. learned.
- Historical context rooted in 17th-century tensions between science and the Roman Church shaped the idea of separating physiological processes from psychological ones.
- René Descartes proposed Cartesian Dualism, asserting that the physical universe (including the human body) is distinct from the non-physical mind, a viewpoint supported by the Church.
- While modern understanding recognizes the physiological basis for behavior, many still hold onto the dualistic belief in a separate non-physical mind.
Inherited or Learned? Nature vs. Nurture
- The nature-nurture debate considers whether behavior is primarily influenced by genetics (nature) or environment and learning (nurture).
- Early American psychologists, notably John B. Watson, favored nurture, while European ethologists emphasized innate instinctive behaviors, suggesting a strong role for nature.
- Ethologists viewed instinctive behaviors as inherited and not learned, contrasting with the learning-focused perspective in North America.
- Behavioral development is influenced by factors beyond genetics and learning, including fetal environment, nutrition, and sensory stimulation, indicating a complex interplay between nature and nurture.
Darwin's Theory of Evolution
- Darwin's "On the Origin of Species," published in 1859, laid the foundation for modern biology by providing evidence for evolution through natural selection.
- Evidence supporting evolutionary theory includes changes in fossil records across geological layers and structural similarities among species, suggesting common ancestry.
- Selective breeding of domestic plants and animals demonstrates significant changes that can occur over time.
Emergence of Humankind
- Humans belong to the hominini tribe, which includes six genera: Australopithecus, Paranthropus, Sahelanthropus, Orrorin, Pan, and Homo.
- The first Homo species evolved from Australopithecus approximately 2 to 2.8 million years ago.
- Fossils reveal a variety of hominins, such as a complete 3-year-old Australopithecus fossil in Ethiopia, indicating diverse evolutionary pathways.
- Homo sapiens began migrating out of Africa around 130,000 years ago, succeeding earlier Homo species.
Study of Mate Bonding
- Mating behaviors vary widely among vertebrates; many engage in promiscuity, whereas some form enduring relationships.
- Polygyny is the most common mating arrangement among mammals, where one male mates with multiple females.
- Polyandry, where one female mates with multiple males, is rare in mammals due to differing reproductive contributions.
- Approximately 9% of mammals display monogamy, believed to arise when cooperative parenting increases offspring survival.
Evolutionary Psychology and Mate Selection
- Current theories of mate bonding predict that men often prioritize youth and attractiveness, while women value power and earning capacity in potential mates, aligning with evolutionary fitness indicators.
Mendelian Genetics
- Darwin lacked understanding of inheritance mechanisms; solutions were found in Gregor Mendel's research on pea plants.
- Mendel's experiments were designed around dichotomous traits (traits existing in two forms) and true-breeding lines (organisms that produce offspring with consistent traits).
- He defined dominant and recessive traits; dominant traits appeared in all first-generation offspring, while recessive traits appeared in roughly one-quarter of the second generation, forming the basis of Mendelian genetics.
Studying That Suits You
Use AI to generate personalized quizzes and flashcards to suit your learning preferences.
Description
Test your knowledge on the biology of behavior, including evolution, genetics, and psychological factors. This quiz explores the complexities of behavioral dichotomies and their implications in understanding human behavior.
