L9-11 Flashcards
3 phases of biological evolution
replication, variation, selection
The memetic view
processes involved in cultural evolution that are parallel to those involved in genetic evolution
How is a meme similar to a gene?
it is a unit of cultural transmission, ranging from a single word to a complex behavioral pattern, that propagates itself through imitation
Replication in biological evolution vs cultural evolution
takes generations to emerge as it primarily relies on vertical transmission; rapid as it allows for vertical, horizontal, and oblique transmission
How does variation occur in a meme?
new memes are produced through mutation (e.g. modification through misinterpretation, embellishment) or recombination
2 characteristics of a meme
high fecundity (i.e. spreads fast) and initially high in fidelity (exactness) then low over time
How does selection occur in a meme?
the most memorable memes (high rate of retention) are more likely to be spread to others
5 factors that make a meme more likely to be retained in memory
easy communicability, survival/reproductive advantage, economic advantage, fear, positive affect
When do babies exhibit a reliable response to acoustic stimulation?
28 weeks or ~7 months
2 kinds of background noise (noise floor)
sounds fetuses hear in the uterus and other factors obscuring perception of external sounds
Examples of sounds fetuses hear in the uterus
maternal respiration, cardiovascular and intestinal activity, physical movements
Examples of factors obscuring the perception of speech
tissues and fluids surrounding fetal head; route of sound transmission into fetal inner ear; sensitivity of fetal hearing mechanism
Sleep in Asian vs European cultures
greater sleep latency and problems, and co-sleeping; longer sleep time at night and more likely to sleep alone
3 issues with the measurement of sleep problems
relies on subjective ratings; lack of objective or cross-culturally applicable definitions; lack of clarity regarding what counts as a sleep problem
3 evidences FOR dangers of co-sleeping
majority of SIDs during sleep occur outside crib; bed-sharing associated with 5x higher likelihood of SIDS; associated with thermal stress, airway obstruction, and rebreathing of parental expired air
3 evidences AGAINST the dangers of co-sleeping
SIDs have decreased as co-sleeping has increased; association between co-sleeping and SIDS commonly found along with other factors; cultures with more co-sleeping have fewer SIDS
Recommendations for co-sleeping
no substance use prior to going to bed; babies should be placed on their backs; use stiff mattress, tight bed sheets, and beds with no crevices; avoid couches
2 primary dimensions of parenting
responsiveness and demandingness
Responsiveness
degree of warmth, support, and acceptance toward children
Demandingness
degree to which parents are controlling and demanding
4 types of parenting according to Baumrind’s typology
authoritarian, authoritative (ideal), permissive, rejecting-neglecting
Authoritarian parenting
high demandingness and low responsiveness (e.g. strict rules, little open dialogue)
Rejecting-neglecting parenting
self-centered; low demandingness and low responsiveness (e.g. disengaged, no support or monitoring)
Authoritative parenting
child-centered; high demandingness and high responsiveness (e.g. high expectations, focus on emotional regulation)
Permissive parenting
low demandingness and high responsiveness (e.g. few rules and limits)
Benefits of authoritative parenting
autonomy, self-reliance, better school achievement, perceived parental warmth and acceptance
Problem with Baumrind’s typology
based on Western ideas of the expression of warmth (explicit vs implicit)
Jiao xun
parenting style that focuses on training child to be good members of society at the expense of oneself
Effect of authoritarian parenting in different cultures
instills fear in and bad for academics of European American children (but not for other ethnic minorities); trains assertiveness in African American children
Effect of authoritative parenting in different cultures
good for academics of European American children but no relation to other ethnic minorities
Noun bias
children’s tendency to think more about, and in terms of, nouns rather than other kinds of words (e.g. verbs); biased toward languages that are noun-biased (e.g. English)
How does acculturation occur?
exhibit plasticity after birth then engage in specificity and become specialists when entering adulthood
3 inputs into the acculturation process
person (e.g. individual differences), group (e.g. insular preference), and context (e.g. responsiveness of host society)
2 outputs from the acculturation process
psychological outcomes (e.g. mental well-being, degree of social adjustment) and cultural competence (e.g. fluency in dominant language, ability to make friends with people from dominant culture)
2 factors that are positively associated with heritage identification
parent involvement and encouraging heritage language maintenance (negatively associated with mainstream identification)
2 factors that are positively associated with mainstream identification
encouraging mainstream adoption and using the mainstream language at home (negatively associated with heritage identification)
