Biological psych 3: Comparative cognition (Lec 27) Flashcards
Why might musical ability and dancing be signs of fitness?
Because they’re spandrels!
What is phylogony?
Inherited traits/ features
Transferral of learnt skills: Rats, squirrels and rhesus monkeys, which excel?
Rhesus monkeys
What is the null hypothesis of intelligence?
It’s not possible to measure intelligence because difference measured could be due to a difference in perception or motivation rather than intelligence itself
What is the guilty look in dogs?
Submissive look
What is Morgan’s Canon of Interpretation?
If a behaviour can be explained by some ‘simple’ psychological motivation, we can’t presume it’s more complicated.
What is comparitive psychology?
Comparing psychology inter-species
What is comparitive psychology?
The psychological study of non-human animals, with interest in phylogenetic history, adaptive significance, and development of behavior.
What is Morgan’s Canon of Interpretation, and how did he update it?
If a behaviour can be explained by some ‘simple’ psychological motivation, we can’t presume it’s more complicated.
However, if there is already evidence of ‘higher-proceses’ involved in some cognitive motivation, then we should continue to assume this higher intelligence.
At what age to human children surpass chimpanzees level of intelligence?
About 4
Perspective taking: New angle
Name 2 aspects
Perspective of the self in the future
“the whole is diff from the sum of it’s parts’
Self recognition: What is the diff b/ween dogs, cats and primates?
Primates will initially think their reflection is another primate, but then they’ll realise it’s not them
Define conspecific
Belonging to the same species
What age does theory of mind kick in for human children?
5 y/old
Do great apes pass the false belief test?
Yep!
Define T.O.M. / mental perspective taking
Theory of mind: Understanding that diff ppl have diff perspectives
What is the false belief test?
eg does ape understand that person B does not know that person A moved the location of the banana while person B was out of the room?
How do children w Autism and children w specific language impairments fare on the false belief test?
Children w Autism fail the test, whereas children w SLI pass (as do great apes, also no language [shraed w humans])!
How do children w Autism and children w specific language impairments fare on the false belief test?
Children w Autism fail the test, whereas children w SLI pass (as do great apes, also no language [shared w humans])!
Why do we need T.O.M/ perspective taking, from an evolutionary perspective (fitness)?
- reciprocal altruism; we need to figure out what others need so that we can barter (something that is of low value to us but high value to the recipient of barter)
- so that we can ‘cheat’, eg apes will have sex with an ape who has a diff partner when they can see that that apes partner is not around
Name 5 of Darwin’s major influencers on Psychology
• Continuity between species
– Comparative psychology
• Instinctive behaviours
– Major influence on James, Freud, ethology
• Developmental theory
– Progress through stages of development
• Morals
– Adaptive significance of behaviour rather than theological doctrine
• Individual differences
– Study of the variation between individuals
Define ethology
the science of animal behaviour.
the study of human behaviour and social organization from a biological perspective.
