ch1: Charles Darwin, Natural Selection and the Laws of Nature

Question 1

Charles Darwin’s initial understanding:

Answer 1

-the argument from design: all species were designed by a Divine Creator for their specific place in nature

Question 2

Lamarck’s theory of evolution: inheritance of acquired characteristics

Answer 2

ex: the giraffe’s neck is tall because throughout history, the giraffe reached for taller and taller leaves and stretching it’s neck made it become progressively longer and this can be passed on to offsprings

Question 3

Charles Lyell:

Answer 3

Uniformitarian hypothesis: earth’s geology suggests long, gradual formation not the results of sudden, catastrophic changes like is suggested in the bible (earth created in 7 days)
-evolution is always gradually and over a long period of time

Question 4

Charles Darwin’s theory:

Why is this important to psych? (4 reasons)

Answer 4

1. Same natural laws apply to all species: Continuation of species/ humans are not divine we are animals like any other animal/humans are now object of study
   - gave idea of universal laws of behaviour
   - why do we have consciousness? because we need it to help us survive, adapt and reproduce

Question 5

2. Functional explanations/ natural selection

Answer 5

accidental biological mutations, which gave one particular organism advantage over the other which leads to more reproduction of that species and higher survival rate and over a period of time those who didn’t have these mutations ended up dying because they didn’t have the same advantage compared to the other species. (natural selection)

Question 6

3. Study of man in relation to animals (Evolution psych) : comparative & developmental psych

Answer 6

• child psychology became important

- tracing evolution through foetuses and following their development in the womb

Question 7

Individual differences

Answer 7

• variability among people because of genetic mutations and the differences which are useful which can help towards survival & reproduction
• the idea that people are different and evolution depends on these differences