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Questions and Answers
What is the primary function of SSRIs as mentioned in the content?
What is the primary function of SSRIs as mentioned in the content?
According to the findings of Crockett et al (2010), what effect does increased serotonin have on moral decision-making?
According to the findings of Crockett et al (2010), what effect does increased serotonin have on moral decision-making?
What was a strength of the study conducted by Crockett et al (2010)?
What was a strength of the study conducted by Crockett et al (2010)?
What limitation of the Crockett et al (2010) study is highlighted in the content?
What limitation of the Crockett et al (2010) study is highlighted in the content?
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What drug was administered to participants to boost serotonin levels during the study?
What drug was administered to participants to boost serotonin levels during the study?
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What is the concept of adaptation in evolutionary psychology?
What is the concept of adaptation in evolutionary psychology?
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How is disgust thought to serve a protective function according to evolutionary psychology?
How is disgust thought to serve a protective function according to evolutionary psychology?
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What was the primary aim of Fessler et al.'s (2005) study on disgust sensitivity?
What was the primary aim of Fessler et al.'s (2005) study on disgust sensitivity?
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What does the term 'massive modularity' refer to in evolutionary psychology?
What does the term 'massive modularity' refer to in evolutionary psychology?
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Why might the self-reported data in Fessler et al.'s study present a limitation?
Why might the self-reported data in Fessler et al.'s study present a limitation?
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What role do neurotransmitters play in behavior?
What role do neurotransmitters play in behavior?
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What distinguishes an agonist from an antagonist in pharmacology?
What distinguishes an agonist from an antagonist in pharmacology?
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Which of the following statements best defines natural selection?
Which of the following statements best defines natural selection?
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Study Notes
Evolutionary Psychology
- Adaptation: A trait improving survival or reproduction in an environment.
- Disgust: Strong dislike triggered to avoid harm (e.g., spoiled food, disease).
- Evolution: Species change over time due to inherited trait variations.
- Massive Modularity: The brain has specialized parts (modules) for specific tasks.
- Natural Selection: Surviving and reproducing organisms pass traits to offspring.
- Post-Hoc Reasoning: Explaining events after they happen, often biased.
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Fessler et al. (2005): Studied disgust sensitivity during pregnancy.
- Aim: To see if disgust sensitivity increases during early pregnancy.
- Procedure: Surveyed pregnant women about disgust responses, focusing on food.
- Findings: Highest disgust sensitivity in first trimester, especially for food. This supports the idea that disgust evolved to protect against disease during pregnancy when the immune system is potentially compromised.
- Strengths: Large sample size. Focused on evolutionary mechanism.
- Limitations: Self-reported data may be biased. Limited to a specific culture.
Neurotransmitters and Behavior
- Agonist: Mimics signal ligand, activating the receptor.
- Antagonist: Binds to the receptor to prevent activation by agonists.
- Neurotransmitter: Chemical messengers between neurons, muscles, and glands.
- SSRI: Antidepressant drug that boosts serotonin availability by inhibiting reuptake.
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Crockett et al (2010): Studied serotonin's effect on moral decision-making.
- Aim: To see how serotonin increase affects moral judgments.
- Procedure: Double-blind experiment with participants given either a serotonin-boosting drug or a placebo. Participants faced moral dilemmas (utilitarian choice scenarios).
- Findings: Participants given serotonin were less likely to choose harmful actions even for the benefit of the overall group. This suggests serotonin correlates positively with prosocial behavior and avoidance of harm.
- Strengths: Controlled experiment. Explores the biological underpinnings of morality.
- Limitations: Small sample size, impacting generalizability. The artificial tasks may not fully reflect complex real-life moral judgments.
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Description
Explore key concepts in Evolutionary Psychology, including adaptation, natural selection, and the role of disgust. Understand how these theories explain human behavior and responses in various contexts, particularly during pregnancy. Dive into research findings that illustrate the importance of disgust in evolutionary terms.
