Evolutionary Psychology & Development

Evolutionary Psychology: (focus on the use of Darwin’s principle of natural selection to understand behavior and mental processes) Principle that variations which increase the odds of reproducing and survival of the species are most likely to be passed on to future generations. – Variations arise from mutations (random errors) or from new gene combinations at conception.

Human Reproduction Evolutionary Psychology and Human Sexuality – Men’s attraction to multiple healthy, fertile-appearing partners increases their chances of spreading their genes. – Women look for resources and long-term stability (increase the survival chances of offspring and self) Critics: – Doesn’t account for social/cultural influences (environmental) – Predispositions do not excuse behavior.

Environmental Influences: (Nurture) Early enriching environments stimulate brain development – (Rosenweig study with rats: ) – Also touch stimulation (animals and children) – Brain is always changing and adapting beyond childhood. Parents and Peers – Both can influence aspects of behavior, but are not exclusive factors.

Environmental Influences, Con’t. Cultural Influences – Each cultural group has own norms and can change over time. – Individualist Cultures (priority to dev. of an independent self) “Western” Culture (Example: ) – Collective Cultures (priority to interdependency, preserve group culture) “Asian” Cultures (Example: ) Variation from person to person regardless of culture, and there are similarities across cultures.

Environmental Influences: Gender Gender: (characteristics (biological and social influenced) that people use to define male and female) Females and males both have vulnerabilities ( ) – Similar genetic make-up in many ways… (learning/remembering) Biological Foundations (Nature) – 23 rd pair of chromosomes (X/Y) Y chromosome triggers testosterone and development of male sex organs.

Environmental Influences: Gender Con’t. Socio-Cultural Influences (Nurture) – Gender roles/expectations Can vary across cultures and over time – Gender identity (sense of being male/female) Application of social learning – Learn through observation, reinforcement, etc.