evolutionary psych Flashcards
(9 cards)
1
Q
Darwin - what makes humans special?
A
- difference between human & nonhuman minds is one of degree, not of kind
- theorised gradual progression from nonhuman to human minds
2
Q
what is sociobiology?
A
- focused on reproductive success as an explanation for natural selection of particular traits
- genetic determinism (mind/culture?)
3
Q
what is the demographic-economic paradox?
A
- prediction that successful individuals would optimise their reproduction
4
Q
what is Game Theory and give and example
A
- maths, analyse strategies for dealing w/competitive situations where the outcome of the pp’s choice depends on actions of other pp’s
- Prisoners’ dilemma (where 2 indiv’s acting in their own self-interests don’t produce optimal outcome)
5
Q
what is inclusive fitness?
A
- cooperation & altruism increase an organism’s genetic success & therefore the survival of the species
- e.g. humans donating to charity
6
Q
definition of phylogeny & ontogeny
A
- phylogeny = evolutionary history of a kind of organism
- ontogeny = development of an individual organism
7
Q
what is comparative psychology?
A
- using animal studies, comparing animal behaviour w/human behaviour
8
Q
the importance of MSR (mirror self-recognition)
A
- the ‘mark test’ = benchmark for awareness of oneself as a separate entity
- shows evidence that non-humans have a sense of self
9
Q
what is the Massive Modularity Hypothesis?
A
- the human mind consists of many innate, special-purpose info processing systems that were shaped by natural selection, each dedicated to solving a restricted class of problems faced by our ancestors
