Family and Kinship

Isaiah Magpali-Isaac

Tatiana Hughes

Tanisha Tatum

Burnstein, E., Crandall, C., & Kitayama, S. (1994) Some Neo-Darwinian Decision Rules

for Altruism: Weighing Cues for Inclusive Fitness as a Function of the Biological Importance of the Decision. Journal of

Personality and Social Psychology, 67, 779.

Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WimixexiiPE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-MeRDfMvK0

Burnstein, E., Crandall, C., & Kitayama, S. (1994) Some Neo-Darwinian Decision Rules

for Altruism: Weighing Cues for Inclusive Fitness as a Function of the Biological Importance of the Decision. Journal of

Personality and Social Psychology, 67, 779.

Introduction

Altruism has always been a puzzle for Evolution

This article hypothesizes that we have heuristics for decisions that involve altruism.

As we know natural selection favors those who are prone to help others with the same genes.– The closer the person is related to you, the more

likely you are to help them.

Introduction cont.

Inclusive Fitness- by helping genetic kin to survive and reproduce, your shared genes can spread.

In regards to altruism, a Heuristic evolved to help us figure out who to help, according to how closely related they are to us.

The article examines this heuristic by measuring how we perceive our relatedness to different relatives, vs. how close they are actually related to us.

Background/Objectives

Background– People can discriminate between close relatives and

moderately close relatives (mother vs. aunt)– Weber’s law: Differences between close kin appear

greater than differences between distant kin. Objectives

– Determine the relationship between perceived and actual kinship

Burnstein, E., Crandall, C., & Kitayama, S. (1994) Some Neo-Darwinian Decision Rules

for Altruism: Weighing Cues for Inclusive Fitness as a Function of the Biological Importance of the Decision. Journal of

Personality and Social Psychology, 67, 779.

Subjects/Procedures/Methods Subjects

– 26 undergraduates from University of Michigan Procedures

– Subjects asked to indicate how closely related the felt to kin (close to distant to fictive)

Fictive = stepparents, acquaintances– 19 Question Questionnaire

1 for genetically identical (twins; r=1.00) 4 for very close (mother, father, sister, etc.; r=0.50) 6 for moderately close (aunt, uncle, grandmother, etc.; r=0.25) 3 for distant relatives (cousin, great-grandmother, etc.; r=0.125) 4 for fictive kin (stepparent, acquaintance; r=0.00)

– Use of ANOVA and Dunne’s test to analyze data

Burnstein, E., Crandall, C., & Kitayama, S. (1994) Some Neo-Darwinian Decision Rules

for Altruism: Weighing Cues for Inclusive Fitness as a Function of the Biological Importance of the Decision. Journal of

Personality and Social Psychology, 67, 779.

Results

Burnstein, E., Crandall, C., & Kitayama, S. (1994) Some Neo-Darwinian Decision Rules

for Altruism: Weighing Cues for Inclusive Fitness as a Function of the Biological Importance of the Decision. Journal of

Personality and Social Psychology, 67, 779.

Results (cont.)

ANOVA indicated a significant decline in perceived relatedness with actual relatedness.

Dunne’s test demonstrates drop in perceived relatedness between each pair of adjacent points was reliable– Most precipitous declines occurred between

Very close and moderately close kin And between distant kin and acquaintances

Burnstein, E., Crandall, C., & Kitayama, S. (1994) Some Neo-Darwinian Decision Rules

for Altruism: Weighing Cues for Inclusive Fitness as a Function of the Biological Importance of the Decision. Journal of

Personality and Social Psychology, 67, 779.

Results (cont.)

What does mean for helping behaviors?– If our decision to help someone is based off of

perceived relatedness, kinship should have greatest impact when one person is very close or unrelated.

– We have heuristic thinking when it comes to inclusive fitness that says: “ Help those most closely related to you who have the greatest reproductive value”

Burnstein, E., Crandall, C., & Kitayama, S. (1994) Some Neo-Darwinian Decision Rules

for Altruism: Weighing Cues for Inclusive Fitness as a Function of the Biological Importance of the Decision. Journal of

Personality and Social Psychology, 67, 779.

Study Strengths

Use well defined hierarchy of kin closeness. Accurately measured the perceptions vs. the

actual level’s of kinship.

Burnstein, E., Crandall, C., & Kitayama, S. (1994) Some Neo-Darwinian Decision Rules

for Altruism: Weighing Cues for Inclusive Fitness as a Function of the Biological Importance of the Decision. Journal of

Personality and Social Psychology, 67, 779.

Study Weaknesses

Some people may not have any connection for distant relatives.– How close they feel towards them could be

effected.

Questionnaire does not have an equal number of questions for each level of kin.

Limited number of subjects (26)

Burnstein, E., Crandall, C., & Kitayama, S. (1994) Some Neo-Darwinian Decision Rules

for Altruism: Weighing Cues for Inclusive Fitness as a Function of the Biological Importance of the Decision. Journal of

Personality and Social Psychology, 67, 779.

Quiz

Multiple Choice– What is the r value for distant relatives as defined by the study?

A) .125 B) .50 C) .00

– How many levels of actual kinship were studied? A) 3 B) 4 C) 5 D) 6

– Who are you more inclined to help in dangerous situations? A) Your Aunt B) Your cousin C) Your grandfather B) Your second cousin

Burnstein, E., Crandall, C., & Kitayama, S. (1994) Some Neo-Darwinian Decision Rules

for Altruism: Weighing Cues for Inclusive Fitness as a Function of the Biological Importance of the Decision. Journal of

Personality and Social Psychology, 67, 779.

Quiz (cont.)

True or False– The study set out to determine the relationship

between perceived and actual kinship. T/F– The least abrupt declines occurred between very

close kin and moderately close kin and between distant kin and acquaintances. T/F

– In terms of the results, you are more likely to save your sister than you are to save your than 2 of your cousins. T/F

Burnstein, E., Crandall, C., & Kitayama, S. (1994) Some Neo-Darwinian Decision Rules

for Altruism: Weighing Cues for Inclusive Fitness as a Function of the Biological Importance of the Decision. Journal of

Personality and Social Psychology, 67, 779.

Reference

Burnstein, E., Crandall, C., & Kitayama, S. (1994) Some Neo-Darwinian Decision Rules for Altruism: Weighing Cues for Inclusive Fitness as a Function of the Biological Importance of the Decision. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 67, 779.

Burnstein, E., Crandall, C., & Kitayama, S. (1994) Some Neo-Darwinian Decision Rules

for Altruism: Weighing Cues for Inclusive Fitness as a Function of the Biological Importance of the Decision. Journal of

Personality and Social Psychology, 67, 779.