evolutionary social psych lecture 1

Question 1

what is prosocial behaviour

Answer 1

helping behaviour

Question 2

what are we trying to find out here?

Answer 2

to what extent are people willing to sacrifice their resources or themselves for other people?

Question 3

what is evolutionary social psych according to archer 2001

Answer 3

‘approach to psych based on principle of natural selection’

Question 4

what is natural selection

Answer 4

by darwin/wallis
individuals with characteristics suited to the environment are adapted so more likely to survive and then reproduce so pass on this trait

Question 5

what is adaptation

Answer 5

possession of a characteristic that facilitates survival

Question 6

what is fitness

Answer 6

organisms with characteristics are likely to fit environment better
suitability of an organism to the environment due to its traits

Question 7

inclusive fitness

Answer 7

genetic success due to cooperative/ altruistic behaviour
(helping relatives enhances survival of shared genes to be passed on)

Question 8

what is altruism according to archer 2001

Answer 8

‘behaviour that helps another individual’s fitness despite a fitness cost to the donor’

Question 9

is helping behaviour adaptive

Answer 9

yes, because we see helping behaviour now so it must have a survival advantage to be passed on through generations
-BUT why when altruism involves cost?

Question 10

what are the problems with altruism

Answer 10

-evolutionary processes normally selfish/ have something in it for you
-helping may impact own resources, adversely affecting own fitness

Question 11

what is selective altruism

Answer 11

targeted helping improves survival of own genes
-reproductive success enables continuation of genes
-relatives share genes so it is beneficial to help relatives to enhance survival of shared genes (inclusive fitness)

Question 12

burnstein et al 1994 study

Answer 12

-pp given hypothetical scenarios
-pp varied in degree of relatedness, age, gender etc
-more likely to help relatives than someone unrelated
-more likely to help relatives in life or death situ than everyday situ
-very young or elderly most likely to be helped
-in life or death children much more likely than elderly to receive help

Question 13

according to dawkins how does selective altruism evolve

Answer 13

gene for selective altruism more likely to survive than wholesale altruism

Question 14

what is hamiltons model for altruism

Answer 14

as relatedness increases so does tendency for self sacrifice

Question 15

why hasnt helping non relatives become extinct

Answer 15

because of reciprocal altruism/ mutual helping

Question 16

what is the prisoners dilema

Answer 16

Axelrod and Hamilton prison simulation
- police caught prisoner A and B
- if A betrays B, B gets 3 yrs, A goes free
- if A and B remain silent, 1 yr prison each
- if both betray each other, 2 yrs each

Question 17

what was axelrod and hamiltons conclusion about the prison dilema

Answer 17

-best strategy is tit for tat
-start by cooperating
-betray as soon as you are betrayed
-cooperate if they begin to
-this tends to form cooperation over time
-working with others is most effective (reciprocal altruism)

Question 18

what did trivers say about reciprocal altruism

Answer 18

reciprocal altruism improves fitness when favour is likely to be returned

Question 19

what is the social contract theory

Answer 19

Cosmides and Tooby
-reciprocal altruism requires detection of cheats
-cheat detection has genetic basis
-humans detect cheats within social exchanges

Question 20

what is the bystander effect

Answer 20

-more potential helpers, less likely to help those in need

Question 21

what did thompson state about bystander effect

Answer 21

in small communities, help is more likely as it is more likely they will help you back (likely to return the favour in smaller group)

Question 22

cooperative coalitions

Answer 22

-humans band together in cooperative groups
-how has evolution maintained cooperative coalitions in the face of free riding?

Question 23

-how has evolution maintained cooperative coalitions in the face of free riding?

Answer 23

punishment
-Boyd et al: cooperation increases where free riders are actively punished
-Price et al: highlights and evolved punitive sentiment, encourages social censure of slackers, enhances cooperation and removes free riding