Lecture 4

Question 1

Proximate explanation

Answer 1

Immediate cause, more specific, less general

Question 2

Ultimate explanation

Answer 2

Adaptive cause, more general, less specific

Question 3

Niko Tinbergen–> 4 questions:

Answer 3

• Causation; why, proximate mechanism
• Ontogeny; how/when did it develop
• Adaptation; why did it evolve, ultimate mechanism
• Phylogeny; how did it evolve in the species

Question 4

Causation

Answer 4

proximate level–> trigger, neural mechanism, cognitive mechanism

Question 5

Adaptation

Answer 5

Ultimate level–> evolutionary benefit, adaptive function

Question 6

Natural selection

Answer 6

• Variation
• Selection
• Inheritance (erfelijkheid)

Question 7

Adaptations

Answer 7

Not every trait is currently adaptive (food high in calories) and not every current challenge has an associated adaptation (cars)

Question 8

By-products

Answer 8

Non-adaptive effects linked to adaptation (fear of harmless snakes)

Question 9

Noise

Answer 9

Random genetic propagation (rare phobias like fear of cheese)

Question 10

Mismatch hypothesis

Answer 10

We are adapted to a different environment than that we live in now

Question 11

Fundamental motives

Answer 11

• Self protection
• Disease avoidance
• Affiliation (verbondenheid)
• Status
• Mate acquisition
• Mate retention
• Kin care

Question 12

Consumer implications for self-protection

Answer 12

Buy safe and trustworthy products

Question 13

Consumer implications for disease avoidance

Answer 13

Travel more locally, value cleanliness

Question 14

Consumer implications for affiliation (verbondenheid)

Answer 14

Buy products to share, gift-giving and communication on social media

Question 15

Consumer implications for status

Answer 15

Buy luxury, costly altruism, less price sensitivity

Question 16

Consumer implications for mate acquisition

Answer 16

Buy luxury, impulsive purchasing, improve appearance

Question 17

Consumer impliciations for mate retention

Answer 17

Buy products to signal bond to each other and others

Question 18

Consumer implications for kin care

Answer 18

Buy kid-specific products, pay more to benefit kids

Question 19

Signalling theory

Answer 19

Some traits/behaviours can propagate (verspreiden) because of their signalling function

Question 20

Conspicuous consumption

Answer 20

Buying unnecessary expensive stuff

Question 21

Error management theory

Answer 21

Humans have to deal with uncertainty and erros are unavoidable, some errors are costlier than others –> we want to avoid very costly errors