Social Rank Theory Biological Or Evolutionary Flashcards
Why is depression a good thing
It is adaptive and without depression humans survival chances would be less
Why is social rank theory ultimate
It focuses on why humans have the capacity for developing depression unlike the medical approach which suggests there is something wrong with the individual.
What is depression an adaptive response to
A lack or loss of status
Is bases it’s underlying assumption that status itself is survival enhancing and therefore a desire to achieve status will also be adaptive. Why does status enhance survival chances
Because an individual with status would have access to the best resources, the fittest mate (fit offspring) and the fittest friends (sharing the best resources the fit friends have access too)
In a hierarchical society of our evolutionary past individuals on the lower levels of the hierarchy would be looking to challenge those higher up. This would lead to gaining status (successful challenge) or loosing status (unsuccessful challenge). How can this loss be damaging?
This loss of status means the individual is extremely vulnerable and may be look upon as an easy target for other individuals lower in the hierarchy.
How can depression help those of a vulnerable state after loosing status.
Helps to protect the individual in a number of ways.
1. Feeling of sadness and low self esteem promotes sympathy in others. They may then help the individual recover and prevent further attack.
- The feelings of low self worth act as am honest indicator to others that any challenge would be unfair.
- Social withdrawal would prevent any ideas of counter attack at the time when his weakened physical state would mean the challenge be unsuccessful.
Defeat depression gives the individual what
Time to recover and sympathy from others both which help to protect from further loss of status
In a similar way evolutionary psychologists argue that deprivation depression is a adaptive response to a loss of love or friendship. In the same way that status is a basic need so is love. What is the benefit of love,
Assess to a mate (reproductive chances) and access to friends which would protect from an attack from a predator (safety In numbers).
Deprivation depression is an adaptive response to loss of love. Why?
Because it promotes sympathy in others and therefore ensures proximity.
AO2-Empirical evidence
Rayleigh and McGuire
Monkeys live in hierarchy. Levels of serotonin measured for low status monkeys and alpha males that lost status.
Found alpha males to have serotonin levels to be twice as high as monkeys lower in the hierarchy. When monkeys lost status serotonin levels plummeted and they showed signs of depressed like symptoms e.g. Rocking back and forward refusing food.
AO2How does this supports the social rank theory.
Social rank theory would expect these results due to the loss of status. We know that serotonin levels are an objective indicator of a chemical affecting mood therefore by the decrease it suggest mood has also been effected which the theory would suggest. However is rocking back and forward really a sign of depression
AO2 can’t draw valid conclusions because of monkeys
However can’t be too critical as unethical to test on humans
Theory difficult to test
Ethical reasons. Too harmful to p’s
