Evolution

Question 1

Basis for evolution:

Answer 1

• Organisms replicate but not perfectly (offspring variability)
• Not enough resources on planet to allow any species to grow indefinitely
• For any given environment variability means some more likely to survive than others
• Sink or swim
• If new traits can be passed on they accumulate over generations

Question 2

Peppered moth

Answer 2

black ones survived after Industrial Revolution bc they are the ones that got camouflaged when they were rarer pre revolution

Question 3

pitfalls that understanding evolution can lead to

Answer 3

Naturalistic fallacy
Deterministic fallacy
Nature vs nurture debate
Teleology

Question 4

Naturalistic fallacy–

Answer 4

false idea that things are right bc they are natural
Way world is=/= way things should be
Just bc mind is doesn’t mean mind should
Is =/= ought

Question 5

Deterministic fallacy–

Answer 5

false idea things are inevitable bc they are natural
Just bc we evolve a certain way doesnt mean its the way we have to be
We do tons of things we arent evolved to do/disobey our genes
Medicine, iphones etc

Question 6

Nature vs nurture debate–

Answer 6

how much of psychology is due to genetics and how much due to environment
Debate misses point of evolution
Ex: gills
Fish cant live outside of water (nature) but they evolved to be this way bc of environment (nurture)
Deeply intertwined–is not one or other, its nature via nurture or the interaction between the two

Question 7

Teleology–

Answer 7

false idea that things get better over evolution
Sometimes the older version is better–evolution is random
Evolution does not entail getting better

Question 8

teleology example

Answer 8

Same basic structure of mind for long time but environment looks really different
Today we live in densely populated cities…used to be u knew everyone in ur society
We evolved for a diff environment than our own
We used to be hunter gatherers and food was hard to come by so u always were looking for calories/sweet and fatty foods were good
Today they’re bad bc we have so many chances for calories–>obesity today
They taste good bc we evolved for them but they harm us a lot

Question 9

purpose of evolutionary psych

Answer 9

tries to understand how evolution gave us these instincts

Question 10

why is evolutionary psych controversial?

Answer 10

Trying to extrapolate info from evolved function but answers buried in past/We don’t know what really happened. we can make good guesses but never be sure
Inference from ancestral past

Deals a lot w evolved sex differences

Question 11

why does the focus on sex differences cause controversy?

Answer 11

Assumes/focuses on inate sex differences
Claims get made about groups that just promote sexism/racism/using evolution to promote these things
BE SUSPICIOUS OF BIO CLAIMS OF HUMAN GROUP DIFFS

Question 12

Goal of organisms

Answer 12

to reproduce/pass on genes

Humans/primates–mate and have children

Question 13

cost to reproduce? What is the result?

Answer 13

diff amounts of energy and resources to reproduce/men have unlimited sperm and women have expensive and limited eggs that degrade over time
Time–men take a few minutes and women take months
risk–Physical process of having baby poses health risks that dont affect men
V costly for women
Result–In most species females are choosier than men/looking for someone who offsets potential costs of pregnancy/raises child

Question 14

Women look for…

Answer 14

Someone w good genes
Likely to survive
Can secure and share resources
$$, social status, etc

Question 15

Men look for…

Answer 15

In men:
Good genes
fertility/not already pregnant/right age (hourglass figure implies this)
Will have sex with them
(may be why men are more promiscuous)

Question 16

What signals are we programmed to look for?

Answer 16

Bilateral symmetry (Signal of healthy development/good genes)
Typicality (Having avg size and shape features; Sign of genetic health)
Evolutionary goals working below surface and guiding preferences
True in many other species as well

Question 17

Why do long term monogamous relationships form??

Answer 17

Humans are born as fetuses/before fully developed
A lot of animals competent right after birth
Monogamous relationships provide for v dependent baby early lives
Also true for men bc impregnating a ton of women not a great strategy to make sure babies survive/evolutionary pressure on them too

Question 18

Is there an evolutionary plane we should care about race bc humans categorize each other

Answer 18

we can tell which social group boundaries are important bc of who said what test
Categories that stand out are gender, age, and race
In hunter gatherer societies u would never have encountered someone who is diff race
So we wouldn’t have been aware of racial categories
So why do we pick out race
Were not programmed to pick out race–sports jerseys more important than race in these experiments
We see race as potential indicator of coalition but as soon as theres something that can override race it goes away

Question 19

Who said what test

Answer 19

Experimenter shows pics of diff races gender ages and attribute diff quotes to them
Then memory test when u ask who said x
It gets really difficult
Ppl don’t just make random errors
Ppl are systematic in those errors
Ppl will mix up something two young girls say
But not adult man and young girl