Nature & Nurture Flashcards
What does the concept of the “survival of the fittest” refer to?
individuals who are best fit for the environment at the time will survive and reproduce
How does evolutionary psychology use the principle of natural selection?
Just as nature selects the most physically fit, it also selects for the most psychologically fit
What is a psychological universal?
core mental attributes that are shared at some conceptual level by all or nearly all non-brain- damaged adult human beings across cultures?
What are the three problems that, according to evolutionary psychologist, evolution has presented to males and females?
- Differential parental investment
- Detecting fertility or reproductive value
- Paternal uncertainty
What does the differential parental investment hypothesis argue?
given the difference in parental investment, how can males & females maximize on reproductive success
(ex: females can have limited # of offspring, males are unlimited)
What does the detecting fertility/reproductive value hypothesis argue?
given the differences in risk and resources involved in child bearing, what should makes & females look for in the other sex
(ex: females focus on the ability to provide physical safety & required resources during and after pregnancy, while males focus on the ability to bear and nurture healthy offspring)
What does the parental uncertainty hypothesis argue?
given the physical constraints of child bearing and childbirth, only females can be 100% certain that offspring is theirs
(ex: females’ motivation to make male think offsprings is theirs, while males’ motivation to know for certain the offspring is theirs)
What is socialization? Why is it important to consider?
Socialization teaches males and females their gender roles - the sets of “accepted” behaviors for men and women.
Society has the potential to exaggerate - or dampen - small evolutionary differences
