Evolutionary social psychology

Question 1

what is evolutionary social psychology

Answer 1

Archer (2001) : an approach to psychology based on the principle of natural selection.

Question 2

Natural selection

Answer 2

Darwin (1859) : individuals with characteristic well suited to an environment are more likely to survive and pass on their genes to succeeding gyrations will will themselves be better to survive.

Question 3

Adaptation

Answer 3

possession of characteristics that facilitate survival and reproduction.

Question 4

fitness

Answer 4

individuals with characteristics well suited to an environment ‘fit’ the environment better than those without.

Question 5

Altruism

Answer 5

behaviour which helps another individuals fitness despite a fitness cost for the donor (archer,2001)

Question 6

What is the issue with altruism in regards to evolutionary social psychology?

Answer 6

Buss (2019) : how can altruistic behaviour co- exist with evolutionary pressures favouring selfish acts?

Question 7

How is the issue with altruism resolved?

Answer 7

Selective altruism : helping behaviour is targeted to relative of offspring to enhance survival of genetic line and therefore fitness.

Question 8

Explain Burstein, Crandall and Kitayama (1994) study:

Answer 8

method: Rps given hypothetical scenarios, life threatening or everyday, asked if they would help depicted on sex,age, health.
Results: most reliable predictor of helping behaviour was relatedness.

Question 9

Explain the evolution of selective altruism towards relatives

Answer 9

Dawkins (1979) : gene for selective altruism more likely to survive than a gene for wholesale altruism.

Question 10

Describe the first mathematical model for selective altruism.

Answer 10

Hamilton (1964) : as relatedness increases, so does tendency to self- sacrifice.

Question 11

inclusive fitness

Answer 11

people help others in their own self-interest on the basis of genetic commonality, which is derived from cues such as kinship, similarity and familiarity.

Question 12

Reciprocal altruism

Answer 12

Altruism does not only occur with relatives. Traverse (1971) improves fitness when favour likely to be returned.

Question 13

Explain the prisoners dilemma for explaining reciprocal altruism

Answer 13

Axelrod and Hamilton (1981) : if only 1 prisoner confess, confessor is set free, but non- confessor serves three years, if neither confess serve one year, if both confess serve two years.
best scenario is to cooperate until you are turned on then retaliate.

Question 14

Social construct theory

Answer 14

Cosmides and Tooby (1992,2005) : reciprocal altruism requires detection of cheats, if cheat detection has a genetic basis then reciprocal altruism can evolve.

Question 15

Reciprocal altruism and bystander effect

Answer 15

Thompson (1980) : bystander helping more likely in small integrated communities

Question 16

cooperative coalitions

Answer 16

Humans often band together in cooperative groups. Evolved desire to punish free riders.

Question 17

What is there to stop free riding?

Answer 17

Experimental evidence suggest cooperation increases where free riders are actively punished.
Price et al (2002) : evolved punitive sentiment.