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