Chapter 4: Genes, Evolution and Behaviour

Question 1

Behaviour Genetics Techniques

Answer 1

-Heritability Coefficient: the extent to which the degree of variation in a characteristic is linked to genetics
-Concordance: the likelihood that two people share a characteristic
-Adoption study: a study of genetic and environmental influences on adopted kids
-Adoptive and twin studies have shown that many psychological characteristics are genetic

Question 2

Genetic Influence on Behaviour

Answer 2

-Intelligence is based largely on genetics, and partly influenced by the environment
-Reaction Range: range of possibilities that genetic code allows for a genetic trait
-the ideal method to observe genetics would be to observe personality traits of identical and fraternal twins who grow up together and/or apart
-identical twins are much more similar than fraternal twins
-shows how genetics plays a large role

Question 3

Evolution of Behaviour

Answer 3

-Evolution: change over time of frequency of gene expression (through mutations)
-Natural Selection: favouring characteristics that increase the likelihood of survival
-Adaptations: being able to overcome environmental challenges
-Domain-specific adaptations: designed to solve a particular problem

Question 4

Evolutionary Psychology

Answer 4

Evolutionary Personality Theory: traits that have helped survival and reproduction exist universally in humans

Question 5

Mating Systems and Parental Investment

Answer 5

-Parental Investment: time, effort, energy, risk to care for offspring
-some animals have many offspring, many die, to ensure survival
-others have few, but care for them a lot
-Robert Trivers notes that the parent who invests the most into their offspring will be more heavily competed for

Question 6

Cooperation and Altruism

Answer 6

1: Cooperation: situations where individuals help each other to gain mutual benefit

#2: Altruism: one individual helps another, but at a cost
-Kin Selection Theory: altruism developed to increase the survival of relatives
-Theory of Reciprocal Altruism: a long-term cooperation of returning favours
-Aggression may have evolved as a means to protect offspring, a mate, territory, food

Question 7

Monogamous Mating

Answer 7

-high investment required from both parents, one parent alone is unlikely to be successful

Question 8

Polyandry

Answer 8

-one female mates with many males, is rare

Question 9

Polygynandry

Answer 9

-all members mate with all other members, this is common amongst primates to reduce competition