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Abnormal Psychology > Lecture 3: Evolution > Flashcards

Lecture 3: Evolution Flashcards

1
Q

Human universals

A

Species typical mental processes/behaviors

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2
Q

Why do human universals exist?

A

Because humans like other animals have INSTINCTS!

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3
Q

Instinct

A

A
1) BIOLOGICALLY INHERITED
2) PSYCHOLOGICALLY MEDIATED DISPOSITION
Toward a specific mental process or behavior

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4
Q

Though partly innate instincts are modified by?

A

Learning! especially SOCIAL LEARNING

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5
Q

Examples of instincts? (13) List as many as you can!

A

1) Affiliation
2) Imitation
3) Play
4) Exploration
5) Language
6) Aggression
7) Pleasure
8) Pain
9) Loneliness
10) Care-seeking
11) Care giving
12) Sexual Interest
13) Basic emotions eg. Happiness, sadness etc.

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6
Q

Why is disgust an instinct?

A

While innate, disgust is mediated by social learning insofar as children learn from others which foods in their environment are palatable vs not

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7
Q

Why is play an instinct?

A

While innate, play is mediated by social learning insofar as children learn from others which styles of play are socially acceptable vs not

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8
Q

Why is sexual interest an instinct?

A

While innate, sexual interested is mediated by social learning insofar as adolescents learn from others which expressions of sexual interested are socially acceptable and not

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9
Q

Why do instincts exist/persist?

A

Because they are products of 2 interacting processes:
1) Biological evolution
2) Cultural evolution

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10
Q

Biological evolution

A

The change in the biologically heritable characteristics of populations of organisms over time

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11
Q

Cultural evolution

A

The change in the culturally inherited characteristics of groups of organisms over time

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12
Q

Dual inheritance theory

A

Humans inherit both genetic/cultural information from their ancestors and these two forms of inheritance interact

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13
Q

What are conditions that result in biological evolution?

A

1) Biological variation
2) Biological selection
3) Biological transmission

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14
Q

Biological variation

A

Organisms may vary in their genotypes and phenotypes due to recombination of genes in:
1) Sexual reproduction
2) Mutations
3) Gene flow - through migration
4) Epigenetics effects

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15
Q

Biological selection

A

Includes multiple processes including:
1) Natural selection
2) Sexual selection
3) Kin selection
4) Group selection

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16
Q

Biological Transmission

A

Information transmitted both genetically and epigenetically (factors that modify gene expression) from parents to offspring

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17
Q

What 3 conditions result in cultural evolution?

A
  1. Cultural variation
  2. Cultural Selection
  3. Cultural Transmission
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18
Q

Cultural variation ~ What to cultural organisms tend to do? (2)

A

Cultural organisms:
1) Imitate - results in variation since no perfect replica
2) Innovate - produces variation

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19
Q

What conditions can motivate specific kinds of motivation?

A

Local ecological conditions
Eg. island dwellers create water crafts vs Arctic dwellers creating cold weather clothing

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20
Q

Cultural selection - What processes does it include?

A

1) Social learning biases eg. conformity bias, age bias, prestige bias
2) Environment selection eg. Migration to different kin groups, moving cities

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21
Q

Conformity bias

A

Do what everyone else is doing especially when uncertain

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22
Q

Age bias

A

Learning from older people

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23
Q

Prestige bias

A

Learning from successful people

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24
Q

Cultural transmission (3 types)

A

Cultural information is transmitted:
1) Vertically
2) Horizontally
3) Diagonally

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25
Vertical transmission
Parents to offspring
26
Horizontal transmission
From other group members especially peers
27
Diagonal transmission
From mentors
28
All in all _____ and _____ evolution interact to make us the species that we are
Biological and cultural evolution
29
What does biological evolution produce?
Biological adaptions
30
Biological adaptation
A biological characteristics that: 1) was produced by biological selection processes 2) produced beneficial effects for the organisms/group that possesses it Eg. Animal camouflage, plant toxins, color vision
31
Cultural evolution produces
Cultural adaptations
32
Cultural adaptions
A cultural characteristic that: 1) was produced by cultural selection processes 2) produces beneficial effects for the organisms or group that possesses it Eg. Bows/arrows/javelins enhance hunting, control of fire, food sharing customs, clothing/shelter construction
33
Other than biological/cultural adaptations Humans and other animals with phenotypic plasticity in development can also have:
Developmental adaptations
34
Developmental adaption
A developmental characteristics that: 1) Was produced by developmental selection processes 2) Produces beneficial effects for the organism/group that possesses it Eg. life strategy selection, niche selection, dense mechanism selection
35
Life strategy selection
Selection of fast/slow life strategy
36
Fast life strategy
Earlier sexual maturation More sexual partners Lower parental investment
37
Slow life strategy
Later sexual maturation Fewer sexual partners Higher parental investment
38
Niche selection
Selection of a specialized role within a family or community
39
Niche selection within family (Birth order)
1) First born children identify strongly with parents and support established norms 2) Later born children rebel more against established norms
40
Niche selection within community
1) Mesomorphic (built) children may be biased to select more direct/competitive strategies eg. Fighting 2) Ectomorphic (lean) children may be biased to select more indirect competitive strategies eg. Skill development
41
Defense mechanism selection
Mental processes used to cope with negative emotions, intra psychic and interpersonal conflicts or any other stressors
42
Types of defense mechanisms (2)
1) Internalizing defense mechanisms 2) Externalizing strategies
43
Internalizing defense mechanisms examples
1) Dissociation 2) Depression 3) Low self esteem
44
Externalizing strategies examples
1) Acting out 2) Substance use 3) Defiant behaviors
45
Biological, cultural, and developmental adaptations interact to produce:
Psychological adaptations
46
Psychological adaptation
A psychological characteristics that 1) Was produced by biological, cultural, and developmental selection processes 2) produces beneficial effects for the organisms or group that possesses it
47
Prototypical examples of psychological adaptations:
INSTINCTS! YEAAAH INSTINCTS AGAIN XD
48
Evolutionary Psychopathology
The application of evolutionary theory to the investigation and treatment of mental disorders
49
2 Common principles from evolutionary psychopathology
1. Some common psychiatric symptoms are adaptations and sometimes produce beneficial effects 2. Discrepancies between ancestral and modern environments can cause health problems
50
Benefits of anxiety?
Helps anticipate threats before they occur
51
Where is high and low anxiety beneficial?
High anxiety good for high risk environment and low anxiety good for low risk environment
52
When is low mood beneficial
It can help decrease or change goal-directed behavior When circumstances are unfavorable/you have failed to achieve your goals this can help!
53
When is it beneficial to decrease goal-directed behavior
Unfavorable circumstances eg. Winter, droughts, pandemic in olden times OR pursuing someone who isn’t interested in you in modern times/over-training
54
When is beneficial to change goal-directed behavior
Failure to achieve goals eg. Fail to find/grow food so change territory/change growing method in olden days, change study method/job/relationships in modern day
55
Why is rumination beneficial?
Good for problem solving especially related to risks/goals ~ this is why it occurs with low mood/anxiety
56
Why is elevated mood beneficial
Helps increase or change goal directed behavior when circumstances are favorable or when unexpected opportunities arrive
57
When is it beneficial to increase goal-directed behavior
Favorable environmental circumstances Eg. Spring, and high-yield foraging habitats in olden times OR going on a date and it going really well in modern times
58
When is beneficial to change goal-directed behavior
Unexpected opportunities Eg. Hunting one kind of animal then finding another type of prey in olden times, pursuing one kind of job and another job presents itself in modern day
59
Mood disorders can be understood as a mismatch between?
Circumstances/goal achievement and mood
60
Anxiety disorders can be understood as a mismatch between?
Environmental risk level and anxiety level
61
Mainstream approaches to psychopathology assume psychiatric symptoms are like
Seizures - dysfunctions with no adaptive value
62
Evolutionary approaches to psychopathology suggest that some psychiatric symptoms are more like?
Fevers! - functional mechanisms that while aversive serve an adaptive purpose
63
Incentive reward system
Mediates the pleasure of anticipatory rewards (Less immediate pleasure)
64
Hedonic reward system
Mediates pleasure of consummatory rewards (More immediate pleasure)
65
In ancestral environments what was the correlation between reward systems and health/survival/reproduction?
Positively correlated! - fat and sugar were hard to come by and people burned lots of calories looking for them
66
In modern environment what’s the correlation between reward systems and health/survival/reproduction?
Negative correlation - theres largely unrestricted access to high-fat and high-sugar foods
67
Environmental changes result in ________ adaptations
Anachronistic
68
Anachronistic adaptation
A characteristic that: 1) was produced by selection processes 2) once produced beneficial effects in the past but no longer does

Abnormal Psychology (21 decks)

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