week 4 Flashcards
(27 cards)
George Roamnes
A founder of study of animal behaviour and animal cognition
Studying animal behaviour became divided between two approaches, what were these approaches called, and what do they mean?
Ethology: The study of animal behavior in the wild, focusing on instincts and natural history
Comparative Psychology: The study of animal behavior in labs, focusing on learning and general laws that apply to all species
Human Ethology
study of human behavior from a biological and evolutionary perspective
Human Sociobiology
The study of how evolution and biology shape HUMAN social behavior
Human Behavioural Ecology
the study of how human behavior adapts to different environments
Evolutionary Anthropology
the study of how humans evolved from primates and how we became the species we are today
Cultural Evolution
the theory that human culture changes over time, and that this change is similar to biological evolution
Evolutionary Psychology
The study of how the human mind and behavior have evolved to solve problems faced by our ancestors.
Standard Social Science Model (SSSM):
the idea that human behavior is mostly shaped by, learning, environment, and culture rather than biology or evolution. It assumes that people are born as a blank slate and that all behavior comes from social influences and experience.
Assumptions of the SSSM
The SSSM assumes that humans are born with these conditions:
Blank Slate (Empiricism): Humans start with no innate knowledge or traits—everything is learned.
Irrelevance of Biology: Human behavior is not influenced by biology or evolution—culture and learning are the main factors.
General Laws of Learning: The same learning principles apply to everyone, regardless of their biological or genetic differences.
Critiques of the SSSM
Critiques of the SSSM:
Misunderstands the Nature of Development:
All environmental influences must act through genes.
The SSSM Sets a False Dichotomy:
It is never just nature versus nurture.
Learning is not Governed by General Laws:
Learning is more complex and context-dependent.
SSSM Divides Social and Natural Sciences:
Psychology and biology are treated as separate, missing their connection.
SSSM Does Not Explain Design:
The SSSM describes phenomena but doesn’t explain why they exist.
Behaviourism
studying observable behaviors
It suggests that all behavior is learned through interaction with the environment
EEA
(environment of evoultionary adaptedness)
Environment of Evolutionary Adaptedness
The environment in which human traits and behaviors evolved. It refers to the conditions and challenges our ancestors faced that shaped the way humans think, feel, and behave today.
the environment that shaped a species over time
Epigenetics
Epigenetics is the study of how environmental factors and behaviors can change how genes are expressed (turn on and off) , without altering the DNA sequence
Epigenetic Model of Development
an organism’s development is not solely determined by its genes, but also by environmental factors that can influence gene expression through epigenetic modifications
What is the Scientific notation for Heritability
H^2
Empiricists:
Belief that we are born as a blank slate and learn everything from experience.
Nativists:
Belief that we are born with innate instincts or natural tendencies.
Instinct Theory
and who made it
People are born with innate tendencies, or instincts, that drive their behavior.
William McDougall
Instinctive or innate behaviours usually…
Appear early during development
Performed the same each time (stereotyped)
Complete
Naturalistic Fallacy
The error of assuming that because something is natural, it is inherently good or right.
Recapitulation Theory
The idea that an organism’s development repeats the evolutionary stages of its species, from embryo to birth.
The Baldwin Effect
The idea that learned behaviors can influence evolution. Over time, behaviors that improve survival can lead to genetic changes, with future generations being born with a natural ability to perform those behaviors.
an evolutionary theory that describes how learned behaviors can become instinctive traits
Genetic Determinism
The belief that an individual’s behaviors, traits, and characteristics are entirely determined by their genes, and that environmental or social factors have little to no influence on them.
