essay questions Flashcards
Describe the components of the theory of natural selection (4 parts). What was the theory developed to account for? How does natural selection differ from artificial selection?
- Variation in traits in a population (i.e. different skin color, beak size, etc.)
Artificial selection could be used limit variation in traits in a population (i.e. dog breeding to get dogs to look a certain way) - Variation is heritable: you get your traits (phenotype) from your genetics (genotype)
Artificial selection relies on this principal because by limiting the variation in traits of the breeding population, they can choose which traits will be expressed in the offspring (i.e. by controlling dog breeding to animals that only have traits you want, you increase the likelihood that those traits will be present in the offspring) - More individuals are born in a generation than will reproduce
The better your genes are suited to environment where you live, the more likely you are to survive to produce offspring that also will do well in the environment
Artificial selection can be used to factor out the environment in this equation by choosing the traits which will transfer to the next generation (i.e. breeding dogs that would not survive in the wild otherwise)
4, Individuals that survive and reproduce have the best variation for their environment
Artificial selection can be used to speed up this process by controlling breeding more selectively and make offspring more viable in the environment
How did Galton propose to measure human intelligence? What was wrong with his proposal?
by using anthropometry, or the study of measurements of the human body, such as head size and reaction time. The problem with this was simply that size does not indicate intellectual ability, which is a separate entity.
Contrast Skinner’s approach to language with that of Chomsky. Describe how Skinner and Chomsky viewed the process of language acquisition. Discuss strengths and weaknesses of each approach.
Chomsky: language is a biological component that is innate in all humans; we are all born with a set of rules in our heads, “universal grammar”. Children have a LAD (language acquisition device) that allows them to hear and understand the basic principles of language, and there is a critical period for language.
Strengths:
accounts for biological perspective, language is not just imitation but an active process, evidence of the critical period through people who did not learn language after a certain age
Weaknesses:
doesn’t account for social interaction, suggests that kids do not need to practice as they learn spontaneously
Skinner: Language is a form of verbal behavior reinforced by others, and development is a form of operant learning in which verbal behaviors are selectively enforced.
Strengths: Operant learning is effective in teaching humans almost anything and can help us teach animals humanely
It can change undesirable behaviors
Weaknesses: Limits how behavior can be observed
Doesn’t account for biological aspect
reinforcement is poorly specified
Describe the James-Lange theory of emotion. What led James to propose this theory? Discuss both strengths and weaknesses of the theory.
a. The theory states that physiological arousal instigates emotional responses, instead of emotional responses eliciting physiological arousal (i.e. you see a bear and your muscles contract and you start sweating and then you feel fear). Strengths of this approach are that it gives a person the ability to take control of their mental and emotional state. Weakness of this approach is that it oversimplifies the emotional experience, Canon also argued that the body could be removed and the emotions will still exist (i.e. in paralyzed individuals), also many emotional states have the same physiological reactions. He came up with this theory because he battled depression as a young child and willed himself to engage in happy activities in order to force himself to feel happy.
What were the four main stages of intellectual development according to Piaget? List and describe each stage, and provide an operational definition, i.e. state the criteria that Piaget felt were necessary to move to the next stage
- Sensorimotor stage: an infant uses their senses and motor abilities to discover that physical actions lead to results. They learn through trial and error, and use assimilation and accommodation. This stage is also characterized by extreme egocentrism. Object permanence is also important; the end of this stage is marked by object permanence.
- Preoperational stage: Children can mentally represent events and objects and engage in symbolic play. The beginning is marked by parallel play, where children often play in the same room together but not with each other. Egocentrism is still a central theme, as well as animism. It is towards the end of this stage that children begin to play with others instead of just themselves.
- Concrete operational: Marked by logical thought, and less egocentrism. Conservation is developed. However, children can only apply logic to physical objects. Conservation must be reached in this stage.
- Formal operational: At entrance, they gain the ability to think abstractly. Higher order reasoning is developed, and they are able to classify items in a more sophisticated way They are able to manipulate ideas in their heads, and form own opinions. Creative thinking and abstract reasoning are main components in this stage. Inferential reasoning is a key distinguisher from the concrete to formal operational stages.
Compare and contrast the approaches taken by the behaviorists and the ethologists to the study of animal behavior. Explain the rationale for each approach with an example.
a. Behaviorists used laboratory experiments and carefully controlled the animals in order to observe and elicit certain behaviors. This control is both good and bad because it keeps unexpected things to a minimum but it also is not ecologically valid since the animals they study do not exist in the laboratory naturally.
i. Also lab animals will always be present and can be studied at the convenience of the researcher in behaviorist experiments allowing for data to be collected more efficiently
b. Ethologists emphasized naturalistic observation in order to see how animals actually behave in their environment and not just in a lab. This is more ecologically valid, but it creates a situation where unexpected outcomes may occur.
The animals being studied in a natural environment may or not show up each day and can create a problem for researchers trying to account for the presence or lack thereof of their subjects
