3b. Criticisms of Evolutionary Psychology

Question 1

What is panadaptationism?

Answer 1

The tendency to believe that everything is an adaptation

Question 2

What is an adaptation?

Answer 2

A trait designed to solve a survival or reproductive problem

Question 3

Are all traits adaptations

Answer 3

No: some traits are by-products (side-effects) of real adaptations, random mutations or diseases

Question 4

Mistaken by-products include…

Answer 4

human emotion (falsely believed to have no role in survival) and the female orgasm (releases different hormones, may promote pair-bonding)

Question 5

Reductionism

Answer 5

Small number of principles to explain phenomena (parsimony)

Question 6

What are the SCIENTIFIC criticisms to evolutionary psychology?

Answer 6

Panadaptationism
Reductionism
Genetic determinism

Question 7

What are the NON-SCIENTIFIC criticisms to evolutionary psychology?

Answer 7

Evolved group differences
Feminist opposition
Political leanings

Question 8

What is the response to the reductionist criticism?

Answer 8

Focus on patterns of behaviour (and explaining the origin of individual differences), not individual behaviour
Few, if any, traits are result of biology alone
Role of culture, learning & environment still very important to evolved traits

Question 9

Genetic determinism

Answer 9

Removal of responsibility for ‘bad’ behaviour - “my genes made me do it”
Too much emphasis on genes, ignore the environment

Question 10

What is the most common criticism of evolutionary psychology?

Answer 10

Genetic determinism - due to negative behaviours researched e.g. rape

Question 11

Is genetic determinism a valid criticism?

Answer 11

Commits the Naturalistic Fallacy
A misinterpretation of EP
EP is OPPOSED to genetic determinism (inflexibility of behaviour is NOT adaptive)

Question 12

Many see evolutionary psychology as an extension of…

Answer 12

Social Darwinism and Eugenics

Question 13

Key differences between the origins of eugenics/Social Darwinism and evolutionary psychology

Answer 13

Darwin - evolution via natural selection
The likes of Spencer & Hitler distorted general principles related to NS (e.g. survival of the fittest) to fit their ideologies
EP merely applies Darwinian principles to human behaviour

Question 14

Examples of evolved group differences

Answer 14

Lactose intolerance

Sickle Cell Anaemia

Question 15

Feminist opposition

Answer 15

EP often studies biological differences between men & women
Feminists argue - ‘gender’ is socially constructed & malleable
EP viewed as supporting patriarchy

Question 16

Response to feminist opposition criticism

Answer 16

EP doesn’t suggest there is a superior sex, just that there are differences
An understanding of evolutionary origins of these can be useful in reducing equality
EP can support feminism (Sarah Blaffer Hrdy: female choice is a driving force shaping human nature)

Question 17

Political leanings

Answer 17

Often linked to right wing (conservative) - competition, individual fitness, The Selfish Gene, “survival of the fittest”
Many right-wing politicians used Darwinian principles wrongly
Politically, many evolutionary psychologists are ‘right of centre’

Left wing - cooperation, group processes, similarities between different human groups

Question 18

Valid criticisms of evolutionary psychology

Answer 18

We don’t really know what the EEA was like
Links to genetics
Too much pan-adaptationism