evolutionary psychology Flashcards
what is evolutionary psychology?
Evolutionary Psychology identifies selection pressures that have shaped the human psyche over the course of evolutionary time and test whether our psychological mechanisms were designed to solve these particular adaptive problems.
define phenotype
set of observable behaviours and physical traits of adult individual
define genotype
genetic make-up of indivdual
define gene
single, unbroken unit of inheritance
define fitness
measure of relative reproductive success
what are the four principles of natural selection?
principle of variation
principle of inheritance
principle of adaption
principle of evolution
what is principle of variation?
refers to phenotype
what is principle of inheritance?
doesn’t rely on genetics
what is principle of adaption?
population growth and competition for scarce resources
what is the principle of evolution?
rests on fitness
what does sexual selection mean?
some behaviours evolved not because they have a a good survival function in general but to give more access to mates
examples of inter-sexual selection?
Inter-sexual selection competition with rivals
Inter-sexual selection preferential mate choice
what does adaption mean?
inherited characteristics that developed through evolution to help survival or reproduction
what does by-products mean?
characteristics that do not solve survival problems but carried along as are coupled with adaptive factors (side effects)
what is noise in relation to evolution?
Noise- random effects and chance of mutations when sudden environment changes cause chance effects with no specific function
what is the criteria for identifying whether a behaviour or trait is likely to be an adaption?
Reliability, efficiency and economy
what is altruism?
being selfless but evolutionary theory is about being selfish
why is altruism a problem for evolutionary psychology?
helping behaviour conflicts with evolutionary psychology because being selfless is opposite to EP.
what are the two evolutionary theories that put altruism in context to evolution?
- kin selection
- reciprocal altruism
what is kin selection theory?
a natural selection theory that explains how altruistic behavior can evolve when an organism’s actions benefit its relatives’ reproductive success at the cost of its own
what is reciprocal altruism theory?
Explains when we help people not related to us. Short-term loss to helper means they are owed a favour in return
