Evolutionary Psychology and Human Evolution

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Questions and Answers

Which event is considered a significant turning point in the development of Homo sapiens approximately 70,000 years ago?

  • Industrial revolution
  • Digital revolution
  • Cognitive revolution (correct)
  • Agricultural revolution

What does evolutionary psychology (EP) mainly seek to understand?

  • The physiological changes in Homo sapiens
  • The impact of technology on human behavior
  • The development of language in human societies
  • The design of the human mind (correct)

Which principle of evolutionary psychology suggests that the brain consists of specialized circuits for different adaptive problems?

  • The brain is a physical system governed by chemistry
  • Modern skulls house a Stone Age mind
  • Neural circuits designed by natural selection (correct)
  • Most of what the mind does is hidden from awareness

What aspect of human behavior is linked to the evolutionary shaping of the brain?

<p>Genetic predispositions (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does the statement 'our modern skulls house a Stone Age mind' imply?

<p>Human cognition has not significantly changed over millennia (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes the role of cognitive processes in the evolutionary history of Homo sapiens?

<p>Cognitive functions were shaped to solve adaptive problems (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does the principle stating 'most of what the mind does is hidden from conscious awareness' suggest?

<p>There are many unconscious processes influencing behavior (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following factors contributed to the social structures of early hunter-gatherer groups?

<p>Egalitarian social structures (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the concept of the 'environment of evolutionary adaptiveness' (EEA)?

<p>The environment in which humans evolved and adapted over time. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT one of the seven evolutionary predictions regarding aggression?

<p>Forming alliances with competing groups. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Why is there a mismatch between modern diets and those from the EEA?

<p>Current food availability leads to high consumption of unhealthy foods. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What methodological approach does comparative evolutionary psychology utilize?

<p>A blend of developmental, phylogenetic, and cross-cultural perspectives. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a potential criticism of evolutionary psychology mentioned in the content?

<p>It often relies on speculative assumptions about the EEA. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does the cultural intelligence hypothesis suggest?

<p>Humans developed specialized skills for social cognition. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is an example of a mismatch related to human fears?

<p>Fear of natural predators like snakes and spiders. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does the term 'just so stories' refer to in criticisms of evolutionary psychology?

<p>Speculative narratives that explain evolution retrospectively. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which statement about aggression in evolutionary psychology is accurate?

<p>Aggression is thought to arise from context-sensitive psychological mechanisms. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How does the developmental perspective contribute to understanding behavior in comparative psychology?

<p>Earlier traits are less likely to be dependent on socio-cultural learning. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Flashcards

Evolutionary Psychology (EP)

A way of thinking about psychology that uses the processes of natural selection to understand the design of the human mind, focusing on the adaptive problems of hunter-gatherer ancestors.

Natural Selection

The process where traits that enhance survival and reproduction are more likely to be passed down through generations.

Hunter-gatherer society

Groups of families who survived by hunting and gathering food, potentially with egalitarian social structures and division of labour.

Cognitive revolution

A significant change in human thinking, approximately 70,000 years ago.

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Stone Age mind

Concept that although our bodies have evolved, our 'designed' mental processes reflect the needs of an earlier hominin hunter-gatherer society, i.e. the brains we have now are from an earlier evolutionary time.

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Brain as a physical system

The brain is a physical system governed by chemical and physical laws.

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Adaptive Problems (hunter gatherer)

Challenges faced by humans while hunting and gathering food, which natural selection shaped our brains to solve, example: judging distance.

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Division of labor

Specialization of tasks in a group, where certain individuals focus on specific activities.

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Environment of Evolutionary Adaptedness (EEA)

The ancestral environment in which a particular adaptation evolved.

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Mismatch Hypothesis

Our bodies are adapted to a past environment, and modern environments can trigger problems by causing a mismatch.

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Comparative Evolutionary Psychology

A branch of EP that examines animal behaviour alongside human behaviour to find out more about human evolution.

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Cultural Intelligence Hypothesis

Suggests humans have unique social-cognitive skills, enabling cultural learning and adaptation.

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Adaptive Problems

Problems our ancestors faced that required solutions for survival and reproduction.

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Phylogenetic Approach

The study of evolutionary relationships between species.

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Developmental Approach

Examining how traits develop over a lifespan.

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Cross-cultural Approach

Studying differences in behaviours across different cultures.

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Just-so Story

An untested speculation about how a trait evolved.

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Study Notes

Hunter-Gatherer Lifestyle and Human Evolution

  • Homo sapiens existed for 200,000 years, living in groups of families.
  • Social structures likely more egalitarian.
  • Labor division common.
  • High child mortality, but long lifespans possible.

Cognitive Revolution

  • Occurred 70,000 years ago.

Industrial and Digital Revolutions

  • Industrial revolution: 200 years ago.
  • Digital revolution: 20 years ago.

Evolution and Human Behavior

  • Genes and psychology are intimately linked.
  • Cognition, behavior, learning, and culture depend on brains.
  • Physiology and behavior depend on genes; forces that shaped our bodies also shaped our psychology.

Evolutionary Psychology (EP)

  • An approach to understanding the human mind's design.
  • A way of thinking applicable to all psychology domains.
  • Not a specific area of study.
  • The mind is a collection of information-processing mechanisms, designed by natural selection to address problems faced by hunter-gatherer ancestors.

Five Principles of Evolutionary Psychology

  1. The brain is a physical system governed by laws of chemistry and physics.
  2. Brain circuits were designed by natural selection to solve problems faced by ancestors.
  3. Most of the mind's operations are hidden from conscious awareness.
  4. Different neural circuits specialize in solving different adaptive problems.
  5. Modern minds evolved during the Stone Age.

Environment of Evolutionary Adaptedness (EEA)

  • The environment in which humans evolved.
  • Modern challenges misalign with EEA.

Mismatch Example 1: Fear

  • EEA fears (snakes, spiders) are more prevalent than modern fears (cars, guns).
  • Infants demonstrate fear responses to snakes and spiders.

Mismatch Example 2: Diet

  • Unhealthy modern diets contribute to health issues (diabetes, heart disease).
  • Cravings for high-sugar, high-fat foods.
  • EEA: limited sugar (honey, fruit) and fat (lean game).
  • Modern abundance mismatches ancestral needs.

Evolutionary Psychology of Aggression

  • Aggression is a context-dependent response to social challenges.
  • Seven evolutionary predictions regarding aggression.

Criticisms of Evolutionary Psychology

  • Methodology issues:
  • Difficulty testing backwards inferences
  • "Just-so stories"
  • Uncertainties about EEA pressures.
  • Example: gender differences in spatial reasoning.
  • Interpretations:
  • Eugenics (selective breeding)
  • Feminist concerns
  • Panglossianism (everything is perfect)
  • Naturalistic fallacy
  • Genetic determinism
  • Non-genetic explanations
  • Non-adaptive explanations.

Comparative Evolutionary Psychology

  • Addresses EP's limitations by relying less on speculation about the EEA.
  • Uses a comparative approach to study behavior origins.
  • Combines developmental, phylogenetic, and cross-cultural perspectives.

Comparative Evolutionary Psychology Methods

  1. Developmental: Early emergence suggests less reliance on social learning.
  2. Cross-cultural: Consistency suggests less social learning dependence.
  3. Cross-species: Examines if similar traits exist in other species.
  • The cultural intelligence hypothesis suggests human specialization in social cognition.

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