HC 6

Question 1

Psychological altruism

Answer 1

altruism if there is an underlying motivation to increase the welfare of others

Question 2

Biological altruism

Answer 2

actions that increase the reproductive success (fitness) of others, while reducing the fitness of the actor

Question 3

Altruism as a mistake/byproduct

Answer 3

A zebra running in the direction of a hidden lion....
Giving way to pedestrians, because everyone else does it (conformity)
Medical assistance (profession)

Question 4

Kin selection/Inclusive Fitness

Answer 4

Individuals help their offspring and other kin because they share genetic material;

Question 5

Reciprocal altruism

3 circumstances

Answer 5

Altruism could evolve if the delivery of benefits to recipient is reciprocated at some point in the future:

1. Cost actor lower than benefit recipient
2. Recognize others and detect cheaters
3. Long life span

Question 6

What is the solution to the prisoners dilemma?

Answer 6

• Cooperate on the first move
• Reciprocate on every move thereafter
Three keys to its success
1• Never be the first to defect
2• Retaliate only after the other has defected
3• Be forgiving

Question 7

Social Contract Theory

5 capacity’s

Answer 7

Capacity 1
• The ability to recognize many different individual humans Capacity 2
• The ability to remember the histories of interactions with different individuals
Capacity 3
• The ability to communicate one’s value to others
Capacity 4
• The ability to model the values of others
Capacity 5
• The ability to represent costs and benefits independent of the particular items exchanged

Question 8

Costs and benefits of opposite sex friendships

Answer 8

Benefits
• Sexual access • Resources and
protection
• Information about members of the opposite sex
Costs
• Intrasexual rivalry

Question 9

Competitive altruism

Answer 9

Individuals help because helping signals something good about them (costly signaling)

Question 10

Group selection

Answer 10

individuals help others at a personal cost for the “good of the group” because they profit from being in a successful group (biological or cultural group selection)

Question 11

costly signaling perspective

Answer 11

suggests that altruism evolved as a mate signal such that individuals cooperate to compete for sexual partners (Darwin’s sexual selection hypothesis)