Natural selection and behaviour Flashcards
(10 cards)
What are Tinbergen’s four questions for explaining behaviour?
- Mechanism – What triggers the behaviour?
- Ontogeny – How does it develop over the lifespan?
- Adaptive Value – How does it aid survival or reproduction?
- Phylogeny – How did it evolve across species?
Which levels of explanation does evolutionary psychology focus on?
Adaptive value (function) and phylogeny (evolutionary history)
What are the three key components of Darwin’s theory of natural selection?
- Variation – Individuals differ in traits
- Selection – Some traits improve survival/reproduction
- Heritability – Traits are passed to offspring
How is fitness defined in evolutionary theory?
Relative reproductive success compared to others in the population
Can mental traits evolve through natural selection?
Yes, if they show variation, confer a survival/reproductive advantage, and are heritable
What evidence supports the evolution of mental traits?
• Cross-species behavioural similarities
• Shared brain structures (e.g., amygdala, hippocampus)
• Artificial selection of cognitive traits (e.g., Tryon’s rats)
What did the deer mouse study reveal about innate behaviour?
Mice showed predator-specific fear responses despite no prior exposure, suggesting evolved, ecologically specific survival behaviours.
How did these behaviours affect survival?
Mice with appropriate fear responses survived longer when exposed to predators, increasing their fitness.
What did Tryon’s rat study demonstrate?
Selective breeding based on maze performance produced “bright” and “dull” rats, showing cognitive traits can be inherited and shaped.
How has evolutionary psychology been misused?
• To justify aggression and violence
• To explain structural inequality as genetic
• To promote eugenics and social Darwinism
