W9.a

Question 1

What is Evolutionary Psychology?

Answer 1

Application of evolutionary theorizing to understanding human psychology and behavior

Question 2

What are the assumptions of Evolutionary psychology?

Answer 2

Mind is composed of collection of evolved psychological mechanisms, designed to solve various recurrent problems faced by out evolutionary ancestors.

Question 3

What is inclusive fitness?

Answer 3

Capacity for genetic information to spread in the population
Direct (classical) fitness: number of offspring
Indirect fitness: via increasing the classical fitness of others who also share one’s genes (kin, relatives)

Question 4

What does the account of “Not all kin are equal” predict?

Answer 4

Evolution will have shaped patterns of helping such that we are most likely to help those more closely related to us.

Question 5

Sample studies for indirect fitness

Answer 5

Belding’s ground squirrels

LA women

Question 6

What is paternity uncertainty?

Answer 6

Mothers are more certain and nicer to children

Question 7

What is Grand-parental certainty?

Answer 7

Mother’s Mother
Mother’s Father
Father’s Mother
Father’s Father

Father’s mother might have a more certain grandchild.

Question 8

Criticism for Evolutionary psychology

Answer 8

Pan-adaptationism (all traits are adaptations)

Genetic determinism

Implications for morality (Naturalistic fallacy)

Question 9

The value of Evolutionary Psychology

Answer 9

Metatheory: organizing framework

Function (of behavior)

Distal (ultimate) causes (e.g., operant conditioning)

Fruitful re: novel hypotheses