U4B1P2 Flashcards
(15 cards)
What does “domain specificity” mean in evolutionary psychology?
Evolutionary adaptations are tailored to solve specific adaptive problems (e.g., food selection, mate choice).
What is “numerousness” in evolutionary psychology?
The human mind has many psychological adaptations, each for a specific problem (e.g., fears, mate selection).
What is the principle of “functionality”?
Psychological mechanisms evolved to perform specific functions that helped our ancestors survive and reproduce.
How does evolutionary psychology define “human nature”?
It’s the set of evolved psychological mechanisms shared by all humans, shaped by survival and reproductive challenges.
What is the evolutionary function of social anxiety?
To help individuals avoid social exclusion, which could have been life-threatening in ancestral environments.
Why is the emotion of disgust considered adaptive?
It helps prevent disease; people high in disgust sensitivity tend to have fewer infections.
What is the significance of universal emotions?
Shared emotional expressions (e.g., smiling for happiness) reflect evolved adaptations across human cultures.
How does evolutionary psychology explain sex differences in jealousy or sexual variety?
They reflect different reproductive strategies shaped by evolutionary pressures on males and females.
What are environmental triggers of individual differences?
Species-typical mechanisms that respond differently depending on early life experiences or context (e.g., father absence).
How can traits be contingent on other traits?
A trait like aggressiveness may be adaptive if paired with strength but maladaptive if not.
What is frequency-dependent selection?
A trait’s success depends on how common it is. Cheating may work if rare, but not if widespread.
How do time and space influence the optimal level of a trait?
Traits like risk-taking may be favored in harsh environments (e.g., famine), but caution is favored in safe, abundant times.
How does one evolutionary view interpret Big Five traits?
As motivational solutions to recurring adaptive problems (e.g., extraversion as a short-term mating strategy).
What is the “adaptive landscape” theory of the Big Five?
Traits evolved as social signals for detecting who to trust, avoid, befriend, or follow in group dynamics.
What evolved mechanisms help us detect social differences?
Humans evolved difference-detecting systems to assess traits like reliability, dominance, loyalty, and creativity in others.
