38 Questions
What is one of the prerequisites for evolution by natural selection?
Variation that is sufficiently heritable
What is favored by evolution by natural selection?
Genes that build phenotypes that are good at transmitting replicators to future generations
What is the main focus of proximate causes?
How a behavior evolved
What is the ultimate purpose of natural selection?
To benefit the gene
What does the norm of reaction tell us about a facultative trait?
How a trait responds to a specific feature of the environment
What is an example of a facultative adaptation?
Kinship-dependent altruism
What is the main idea behind evolutionary psychology's view of the interaction between genes and the environment?
Genes have 'expectations' about the types of environments they will encounter, shaping their responses accordingly
What is the main idea behind the SSSM model?
The human mind is shaped by experience and is a tabula rasa
What is the concept of 'blank slate' according to SSSM?
A model that suggests human behavior is the result of a completely malleable and formless mind
What is the main critique of SSSM from an evolutionary perspective?
It fails to acknowledge the adaptation and natural selection in human behavior
What is the term for the amount of phenotypic variation that is due to genetic differences?
Heritability
What is the function of the sense of taste according to evolutionary principles?
To perceive sweet tastes as a marker of caloric content
What is the term for the sensation that is intended to detect insects or disease-spreading parasites?
Tickle
What is the mechanism by which a gene can spread through the population according to kin selection?
Altruistic behavior towards relatives
What is the function of language according to evolutionary principles?
To transfer complex understandings about the world from one brain to another
What is the term for the smallest meaningful combination of phonemes in a language?
Morpheme
What is the term for the rules that govern sound changes in morphemes?
Morphophonemic rules
What is the concept that suggests that human behavior is shaped by specialized modules built by natural selection?
Evolutionary psychology
What is the primary factor that contributes to the risk of child abuse and neglect in step-parenting?
Genetic relatedness
What is the primary distinction between evolutionary and traditional psychology?
Approaches to explaining human behavior
What is the environment of evolutionary adaptedness (EEA) defined as?
The environment in which an adaptation was designed by natural selection
What is the primary issue with the 'blank slate' view of the human mind?
It cannot respond to its environment without rules
Why are individuals considered better vehicles for genes than species?
Because all of an individual's genes have an equal chance of being passed to the next generation
What is natural selection, according to evolutionary psychology?
A statistical bias in the rate of replication of alternatives
What is the most useful criterion to determine if something is an evolved adaptation?
Its efficient design for a hypothesized function
What is the difference between facultative adaptations and susceptibilities?
One augments fitness while the other reduces it
Why do evolutionary psychologists think there should be many distinct and specialized learning mechanisms?
Because organisms need to learn many different regularities in their world that have different natural 'ecologies'
What is an example of a facultative adaptation?
People whose ancestors evolved near the equator having more melanin in their skin
What does the concept of morphology in grammar refer to?
Rules for forming words and combining morphemes
What is the primary function of rationality in cognition?
To make judgments and choose courses of action under uncertainty
What is the term for the assumption that the past predicts the future?
Gambler's fallacy
What is the primary function of emotions, according to evolutionary psychology?
To accomplish particular functions
Which of the following emotions signals a fitness-decreasing situation?
Sadness
What is the term for the tendency to favor those in one's own group over outsiders?
In-group bias
What is the primary function of anger, according to Aaron Sell's theory?
To signal that you have been mistreated by an associate
What is the primary function of the Cheater Detection Task?
To identify violations of social rules
What is the primary function of functional dissociation in psychology?
To enable mental processes to operate independently
What is the primary cause of parent-offspring conflict, according to evolutionary psychology?
Genetic relatedness
Study Notes
Evolutionary Psychology
- Evolution by natural selection favors genes that build phenotypes that are good at transmitting those replicators to future generations.
- Natural selection builds adaptations that are good for the gene, not the species, group, or individual.
Proximate and Ultimate Causes
- Proximate causes: Hormonal triggers that prime behavior, and the development of an organism.
- Ultimate causes: Adaptation (functional part), phylogeny (evolutionary tree), and teleology (use of ultimate purpose or design).
Facultative Adaptations and Susceptibilities
- Facultative adaptations: Phenotypic changes induced by environmental change that augment fitness (e.g., UVb-dependent suntanning).
- Facultative susceptibilities: Phenotypic changes induced by environmental change that reduce fitness.
Human Nature
- Standard Social Science Model (SSSM): A blank slate on which culture and experience make their mark.
- Evolutionary Psychology (EP): A large collection of specialized modules built by selection to address the specific challenges that faced our ancestors over human evolution.
Heritability
- Heritability (h2): The amount of phenotypic variation that is due to genetic differences (Vg / (Vg + Ve)).
- Selection is more effective when heritability is higher.
Themes in Sensation and Perception
- Adapted to species-specific risks and opportunities (e.g., bat sonar, butterfly taste receptors).
- Shaped by sources of relevant data that provide insight into the relevant selection pressures (e.g., human taste).
Language
- Language is an adaptation that has been built by natural selection because of its contribution to reproductive success in ancestral hominin populations.
- Language Elements: Phonemes, morphemes, morphophonemic rules, grammar, and syntax.
Social Learning and Cognition
- Social learning: Depends on its costs and benefits, with social learning being advantageous when it is cheap and the environment changes slowly.
- Cognition: Most of our thinking happens without us being aware of it, involving sorting things into categories to make sense of the world.
Emotions and Moral Intuitions
- Emotions: Anger, fear, happiness, sadness, surprise, and disgust are adaptations designed to accomplish particular functions.
- Moral intuitions: Adaptations that help individuals anticipate and avoid actions that could harm their reputation, thus promoting social cooperation and support.
Kin Selection and Reciprocity
- Kin selection: Passing genes to the next generation through helping genetic relatives to reproduce.
- Reciprocity: A model for the evolution of altruism.
In-group Bias and Coalitional Psychology
- In-group bias: Favors those in their own group over outsiders due to evolutionary pressures favoring cooperation within groups for survival and resource acquisition.
- Coalitional psychology: Present in the common ancestor of chimps and humans, leading to negative judgments and disparagement of out-group members.
Social Pathology
- Parent-offspring conflict: Rooted in genetic relatedness, a natural outcome within families despite evolutionary selection for reduced conflict.
- Sibling conflicts: Different perspectives on resource allocation among family members, influenced by genetic relatedness.
- Step-parenting: Poses a significant risk factor for child abuse and neglect, highlighting the impact of genetic relatedness on parental care and behavior.
This quiz covers the prerequisites for evolution by natural selection, including variation, heritability, and replication, as well as the proximate causes of behavioral development.
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