Introduction Psychology 3916 Introduction Why study psychology from

Introduction Psychology 3916

Introduction • Why study psychology from an evolutionary perspective? • Well, umm we are animals after all • Darwin talked about evolutionary psychology • William James talked about evolutionary psychology

Evolution and Social Science • Most psychologists adhere to the ‘Standard Social Science Model’ • This of course affects research, theories, hypotheses etc. • It is almost completely at odds with Evolutionary Theory, and dare I say, with reality….

SSSM - Assumptions • 1) The Blank Slate – Most of us can see this is silly, but, the SSSM seems to accept it • 2) Biology is Irrelevant – If experience is all that matters, biology really has no effect now does it • 3) There are only a few learning mechanisms

Why the SSSM is wrong… • Development NEEDS biology • So, when you hear say language, you learn language, as a kid. • No matter how many hockey stats I flash at you, you will not become a hockey stats expert by the age of 4. • Why?

Another example or two… • Why can’t my parents’ dog learn to speak English? • BECAUSE SHE IS A DOG • Why can’t you remember where you cached 30 000 seeds six months ago? • BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT A CLARK’S NUTCRACKER • There is such a thing as human nature

Nature vs. Nurture • The SSSM divides nature and nurture, this is silly as you cannot have one without the other • The interaction principle • Genes do not just set some sort of limit. They interact with the environment • So, say learning, needs a mechanism and so forth to allow experience to change behaviour

The SSSM and the natural sciences • We cannot study behaviour in a vacuum • We cannot ignore biology • Exempting the behaviour of organisms from the principles of biology is like exempting the behaviour of atoms from the principles of physics • We cannot ignore evolution of sociality in other species and us

Tinbergen’s ‘Four Whys’ • • • Proximate vs. Ultimate explanations Development Physiology Historical Selective Psychology has concentrated on proximate, and that is fine, but it only tells half of the story

Human Nature • Margaret Mead • All culture, all social, no effect of biology • Had a big effect in anthropology and sociology not to mention us • Umm turns out it is wrong… • Universal people • Hard to change a hundred years worth of scholarly work though

Just because there is human nature…. . • It does not mean stuff is unchangeable • Variability due to environmental variability and variability in genes • And, of course the interaction thereof • Many examples, the book has a nice bit on violence • Killer sperm and cheating

Naturalistic Fallacy • Just because something has a genetic basis we do not make the judgment that it is right or wrong • Science is amoral • Society has determined that monogamy is cool, polygyny is not • We may be hooked up to be polygynous, but most of us are faithful

Conclusion • • The EEA influences us Generals always fight the last war Don’t forget about the levels Just because something is biological does not make it right or wrong