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History of Psychology > Lecture 3 - Darwin > Flashcards

Lecture 3 - Darwin Flashcards

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1
Q

What is intelligent design?

A

The idea that we are complex and must have been made by something even more complex (God)
Camera/eye analogy

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2
Q

What is creationism?

A

Says that biological structures are created by an intelligent being (God)

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3
Q

What are the problems with creationism?

A

Pushes the Q back - who created the intelligent being?
Evidence for evo exists
eg) body parts did not emerge suddenly, parallels across history/species like brain similarities, fossil evidence, vestigal phenomenon
Poor design (blind spot)

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4
Q

Describe the significance of the trip that Darwin took.

A

1831 - 5 year trip companion
Spent time in South America, Brazil
Went through the Galapagos Islands

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5
Q

What evidence did Darwin collect?

A
  1. Rocks filled w/ seashells far from shore - how?
  2. Witnessed earthquake
  3. Lyell’s Principles of Geology
    Earth formed gradually, making time for evolution
  4. Collected/logged species and data
    Animals, skins, bones, etc
  5. Noticed relationship between old animals and now by studying fossils
  6. Differences across different islands - eg. beaks and shapes
  7. Diff birds had diff functions
    eg. fins, paddles, sails, wings
  8. Some creatures only existed in certain parts of the world
  9. Found grasshopper 300 miles at sea
  10. On land there were few sparse species; in water there were hundreds
  11. Thought about how he came to the islands
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6
Q

How did Darwin put the evidence together?

A

Read Malthus’ essay on population (1838)
Without war/disease, human pop would grow until out of resources
This would result in the struggle for existence where the strong survive and weak perish

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7
Q

What is the significance of pigeon breeders?

A

Darwin compared pigeon breeders to nature

Artificial selection akin to natural selection

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8
Q

What is natural selection?

A

Nature’s way to compensate for lack of resources
Produce more than can survive
Available resources favor those with a trait advantage
The trait is passed down through reproduction
Over long time, the species changes

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9
Q

What is the function of mental life, according to evolution?

A

Originated for reproduction and survival

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10
Q

What did evolution contribute to psychology and society?

A

Variability/individual differences
Eugenics
Comparative psychology

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11
Q

What kept Darwin from sharing his findings?

A

Fear of the Church

Vestiges was pubb’d in 1844 and very poorly received by Darwin’s contemporaries and his mentor Sedgwick

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12
Q

Discuss On the Origin of Species

A

1859
Ch 1 - Variation under domestication: deliberate breeding
Ch 2 - Variation under nature: indvd diffs and random chgs
Ch 3/4 - Struggle for existence and natural selection: beneficial variations are selected by nature
Remaining 11 chs - evidence and objections

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13
Q

Describe some evidence that Darwin collected for evolution.

A
  1. 8 year barnacle study - specimens from all around the world
  2. Idea of division of labor - more life in one area if diff parts of the environment were used (eg. plants grow at different depths)
    Darwin left areas of his garden untouched for 3 years and documented it
  3. Successfully planted seeds from pigeon droppings
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14
Q

How do species diverge?

A

Through the modifications that help them adapt to different places in nature
More differences lead to better chances of adapting

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15
Q

What is the species problem?

A
  1. How is there such diversity?
  2. Why do some disappear?
  3. Why are some similar to fossils?
  4. Did they all fit on Noah’s Ark?
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16
Q

Describe Erasmus Darwin.

A

Believed that organic life came from a single creature, and that species develop and advance
Humans were the culmination but could still improve

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17
Q

Describe Lamarck’s theory.

A

Chain of being organized by complexity

Species evolution through inheriting acquired characteristics

18
Q

What is catastrophism?

A

Said that change was due to catastrophes by God

eg) Flood in Genesis

19
Q

What is unformitarianism?

A

Lyell’s theory of geological change
Said that change was slow and constant
eg) earthquakes, volcanoes, erosion

20
Q

What is the significance of the Galapagos Islands?

A

Overplayed slightly; only spent 5 weeks there
Hints of evolution with finches on different islands
Later found out that they were 14 new species

21
Q

Who else had similar ideas to Darwin?

A

Lamarck, Erasmus Darwin, Wallace, Vestiges author

22
Q

How did the scientific and religious communities feel about Darwin’s theory?

A

Religious - denounced Darwin

Scientific - fairly quick acceptance; zeitgeist

23
Q

What is sexual selection?

A

Occurred along side natural selection

Males with advantages established dominance and reproduced

24
Q

What did Darwin contribute to developmental psychology?

A

1877 - Biographical Sketch of an Infant

First son’s psychological and physical development

25
Q

What role did evolution play in functionalism?

A

Was the foundation of functionalism
Human behaviour and mental processes in terms of adapting to envr
eg) consciousness - assess/solve prob quickly
eg) habits - free consciousness to solve other problems

26
Q

What are the greatest contributions evolution had for psychology?

A
  1. Continuity of mental processes between humans and other species gave rise to comparative psychology
  2. Emphasis on individual variation
  3. Emotional expression research
27
Q

What did Darwin contribute to emotional expression research?

A

1872 - Expressions of Emotions in Man and Animals
First scientific attempt to study emotional expression
Direct contrition to psy history
Emotional response, facial muscles, theory of emo expression evolution

28
Q

How did Darwin explain expressions?

A

Difficult to study normal adults, so studied children and insane
Galvanization - electrodes on skin that lead to muscle contractions
If emotions evolved, they should be universal

29
Q

What were the main tenets of Darwin’s emotional expression theory?

A
  1. Emotions as serviceable associated habits
    Origin - bodily action that served adaptive function became assc’d with similar situations
    eg) contempt = horrible odor -> offense
    eg) surprise = wide eyes to determine cause
  2. Antithesis
    Opposite emotions in opposite bodily reactions
    eg) dog pose to be big; opposite = submission
  3. Direct action of nervous system
    Emotional expression is a side effect of physiological arousal
    eg) trembling from a strong emotion
30
Q

What is the implication of universal emotional expressions?

A

Expressions are instinctive

Humans seem to share traits with animals

31
Q

What were Spalding’s contributions to psychology?

A

Founded ethology (study of instinctive animal bhvr)
Instinct - experience irrelevant to some abilities (eg. baby chicks pecking)
Imprinting - young birds follow 1st object
Critical period - must develop bhvrs now or never

32
Q

What were Romanes’ contributions to psychology?

A

1882 - Animal Intelligence
Detailed catalog of animal behavior from insects to primates
Founder of comparative psy

33
Q

What were some problems with Romanes’ contributions?

A

A lot of anecdotal evidence
Potential for bias and exaggeration, so discredited sometimes
Anthropomorphism not always taken seriously
Believed dogs were capable of planning, bartering, etc

34
Q

What were Morgan’s contributions to psychology?

A

Found probs w/ Romanes’ work
Improved by being more systematic and using evidence
Did not rule out anecdote but said to be cautious
Shifted comparative psy from anthro -> simple expl’s
Later infl’d Skinner

35
Q

What was Morgan’s Canon?

A

Do not explain animal behaviour more complex than the observation allows for
There is not always a higher faculty, sometimes it is just reflex (eg. Tony the terrier)
Animals had just enough complexity they needed to survive

36
Q

What were Galton’s contributions to psychology?

A

Believed that intelligence was innate and hereditary
1869 - Hereditary Genius
Looked at family trees and saw talent run through them
Basis of nature/nurture debate
Developed correlations
25% of his research was directly related to psychology
Individual differences, research and observations about cognition used today

37
Q

Who was de Candolle and what did he believe about intelligence?

A

Swiss botanist
Looked at 300 scientists and saw that social, political, and economical factors were associated with fame
Disagreed that intelligence was hereditary

38
Q

What methods did Galton use?

A

Surveys and questionnaires
1. 180 scientific elite asked about p’ty, phys attrbs, fam chars, upbring, origin of sci interest
Galton said that scientific interest was mostly nature due to early interest in it
2. 94 pairs of twins - supported hereditary beliefs
But anecdotal and biased
3. Anthropometric Lab

39
Q

What is eugenics?

A

Coined by Galton
Society should actively improve genetic material
Positive eugenics - encourage certain people to reproduce

40
Q

What was the Anthropometric Lab?

A

Developed by Galton in 1880s - tested 17k
Ways to measure talent but mostly physical
Some sensory-motor (reaction, aud/vis acuity, color)
Said wmn were inferior - inadequate sensory capability
Not useful but 1st serious attempt

41
Q

What did Galton contribute to mental imagery and association research?

A
  1. Told people to imagine breakfast table
    Misreported that scientist friends had absence of imagery
  2. Word Association Test - 75 words
    40% youth, 45% manhood, 15% recent, 25% same
    Less variety than suspected
42
Q

What modern field developed out of evolution?

A

Evolutionary psychology

Use evolution to explain human behaviour and develop testable predictions

History of Psychology (7 decks)

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