L21 - Evolution and human behaviour

Question 2

Describe the 5 stages on the demographic transition and fitness

Answer 2

Stage 1 - both birth rates and death rates are high. As a result, population size remains fairly constant
Stage 2 - the introduction of modern medicine lowers death rates, especially among children, while birth rates remain high; the result is rapid population growth.
Stage 3 - birth rates gradually decrease, Population growth continues, but at a lower rate
Stage 4 - birth and death rates are both low, stabilising the population
possible Stage 5 - would include countries in which fertility rates have fallen significantly below replacement level (2 children) and the elderly population is greater than the youthful population.

Question 3

What is the adaptationist approach?

Answer 3

Individual behaviour reflects selective pressure exerted by environment

Question 4

What is human behavioural ecology?

Answer 4

• Interprets the evolution of human behaviour from an ecological perspective e.g optimal foraging, life history, marriage/inheritance patterns
• Comparison with non-human studies

Question 5

What is evolutionary psychology?

Answer 5

Interprets the evolution of human behaviour and psychology from an adaptationist or sexual selection perspective e.g mate choice, attractiveness, modularity

Question 6

What was found in the Whitehall study?

Answer 6

• Looked at health indicators across civil servants
• Controlled for numerous variables
• Found biggest indicators of poor health to be uncertainty, lack of clarity, lack of skill utilization

Question 7

Describe results in study on what having a grandma around does to lifespan?

Answer 7

Increases nutritional status and lifespan of children

Question 8

What are Fodor modules (modules of the mind)?

Answer 8

Brain is “split” into specialised to respond to certain inputs, and usually have their own sensory transducers

Question 9

List some evidence for modules of the mind

Answer 9

• Perceptual system modularity: vision, hearing, face processing
• The language instinct:
  
  • Acquisition too fast and preordained
  • Inherent grammatical structure in all language
  • Dedicated areas: Broca’s ( production), Wernicke’s (comprehension)

Question 10

What is WEIRD science?

Answer 10

Nearly all studies have been on Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic participants