Nature, Nurture and Human Diversity 2.26.16

Evolutionary Psychology Part 4: Evolutionary Psychology

Evolutionary Psychology Study of the evolution of behavior & the mind, using principles of natural selection

Evolutionary Psychology Natural selection – the principle that traits that lead to increased reproduction & survival will most likely be passed on to succeeding generations Mutation – a random error in gene replication that leads to change

Activity Circle 1 of the options for each question. Yes, you have to pick one. (Except #4) According to evolutionary psychologists, all organisms are “gene producing machines” Motivation is to perpetuate our own genetic pools This fundamental motive underlies all behavior Handout 3-4

Analysis Questions 1 & 2: You most likely chose the 5-year-old and the 20-year-old. Why? Because some children die between ages 1 & 5 so the 5-year-old is more likely to live and reproduce. The 20-year-old is more likely to have children than the 40-year-old.

Analysis Question 3: If you are a female, you probably chose someone older than you. If you are male, you probably chose someone younger than you. Why? Because older men are more likely to have the resources to help take care of a child and younger women are more likely to be able to have children. Women typically can have only a max of 25 children, whereas men can have limitless numbers. Therefore, women are more invested in each child.

Analysis Question 4: Females typically choose items a, c, and e because the concern resources, caring, and responsibility Males typically choose b, d, and f which relate to sexual preoccupations

Analysis Question 5: Typically the maternal grandparents (the mother’s parents) are especially ecstatic because they KNOW the child is their grandchild. Mothers have the advantage of knowing a child they bear is their own. Fathers must determine that the female really had his child. Therefore, the maternal grandparents KNOW that their genes have been passed on.

Analysis Question 6: Greater grief will typically be experienced by the mother, parents of the mother, and older parents. Why? Because the greater the investment in a child, the greater the experienced negative emotion at death Mothers are typically more invested because they can have fewer children than men Older parents are less likely to have more children than younger parents

Analysis Question 7: Grief is greatest for a healthy male child. Why? Because they are more likely to reproduce than a female child or an unhealthy child

Evolutionary explanation of human sexuality Gender: in psychology, the biologically & socially influenced characteristics by which people define male & female The only area in which we see a difference between male & female is in reproduction because we have faced different adapting challenges in that area

Evolutionary explanation of human sexuality Gender differences stay the same whether heterosexual or homosexual Evolutionary psychologists view human sexual behavior in terms of its survival value The tendency for behaviors to be selected if they increase the likelihood of sending one’s genes into the future Handout 3-5 President Coolidge story (p.16)

Critiquing the Evolutionary Perspective Evolutionary psychologists take a behavior and work backward to explain it in terms of natural selection. Evolutionary psychology proposes genetic determinism and undercuts morality in establishing society. Effect Cause responsibility

Evolutionary Psychologists Reply We need to test behaviors that explain evolutionary principles. We have adapted, but this does not dictate how we ought to be. Males and females are more alike than different - if we study these differences we can establish their causes.