Sociobiology Mini-Lecture

Question 1

E. O. Wilson

Answer 1

• Argued that we should analyze social behaviors through an evolutionary lens- animals behave in ways that maximize reproductive fitness
• Chapters about whether human social behaviors can be encoded in our genes were controversial
• Studied ants and bees to show that they have social structures

Question 2

Basic Tenets of Human Sociology Research

Answer 2

1. The human mind and human behavior are shaped by natural selection
2. The human mind uses heuristics (strategies) to increase the likelihood of solving problems our ancestors routinely faced
3. There is a shared, and more or less universal, core human nature

Question 3

The Cinderella Effect

Answer 3

If you are the genetic child of an individual (as opposed to step-children), then your parents are more likely to give you money for college

Question 4

Oxytocin and Social Trusting

Answer 4

• Oxytocin is colloquially described as the love hormone because of its prosocial effect
• Participants either received oxytocin or a placebo, took one of two types of risk-taking games
  - There was a lottery game and a trust game
  - Placebo groups were equally risky in lottery and trust, and oxytocin groups bet more money on the trust game

Question 5

Cheater Detection –> Wason task

Answer 5

• A puzzle posed in an asocial context is difficult to solve. When the same puzzle is worded in a social manner (that is,
• Wason Task: You are given four cards, each card has a number on one side and a color on the other. The rule is: if a card is red on one side, it has 3 on the other side. Indicate which card you need to turn over to see whether any of them violate the rule
• The same task is given but there are drinks and ages on the cards, and you need to flip 2 cards to see if anyone is breaking the law. People are much better at solving this problem despite them being the same in essence
• Shows that we able to detect cheaters

Question 6

Why detect cheaters?

Answer 6

• So you can punish people who cheat
• And if you really want to support cooperation, you can even use such a module to punish others who neglect to punish cheaters

Question 7

Fehr and Fischbacher (2003) Study

Answer 7

There are three groups, one can punish defectors and non-punishers, one can only punish defectors, and one cannot punish. There is more cooperation the more you are able to punish. The cooperation levels lower with group size as well when there is less accountability, and a bit when there is

Question 8

Biological Determinism

Answer 8

• Assumption: Behaviors are innate and due to genetics, brain size, or other biological attributes. Social and cultural forces play little role
• Objection: Ignores environmental influences
• Response: Mainstream scientists endorse gene-environment interactions for complex traits
• Objection: Gives too much weight to genes; we are not pre-programmed robots
• Response: Genes get turned on and off constantly; expression is not static

Question 8

Naturalistic Fallacy

Answer 8

• Assumption: Because a trait/behavior is evolved, it must be advantageous
• Evolutionary psychology and sociology have never proposed that problematic human behaviors are justified, but rather, try to help explain why these behaviors may have evolved, as understanding can lead to modification
• Ex. distrust of people who look different than you may have been necessary for hunter-gathered competing for access to food patches. This evolved trait may contribute to some racial biases, but it does not suggest it is “right” in our current environment

Question 9

Sociobiology

Answer 9

The scientific study of the factors driving the evolution of social behavior

Question 10

Dmitry Belyaev

Answer 10

Started a fox breeding program, selectively breeding foxes that shoes low fear of humans, and by the 4th generation some showed physical changes of domestication phenotype such as bigger floppier ears and white spots on their coats. Suggests behavioral and physical traits may be correlated

Question 11

Darwin

Answer 11

• First to consider human behavioral characteristics through an evolutionary lens
• Noticed that humans rom around the world expressed similar emotions through facial expressions, and the are also similar among other primates

Question 12

Evolutionary Psychology

Answer 12

Focuses on psychological processes and attempts to identify mechanisms that were evolved to influence behavior

Question 13

Facial Expressions’ Usefulness

Answer 13

Facial expression like disgust may be to force food out of the mouth that is bitter/bad but also signal to others that it is not good.

Question 14

Just-So Story

Answer 14

An untestable narrative explanation for a cultural practice, a biological trait, or behavior of humans or other animals

Question 15

Adaptive Storytelling in Research

Answer 15

Refers to the practice of tailoring and presenting research findings in a narrative format that is specifically designed to meet the needs, interests, and background of the audience/readers. Sometimes researchers can dishonestly manipulate data to fit preconceived notions.