Tuesday January 14 2014 Evolutionary Perspectives on Our Common Human Nature Darwinian Evolution 101 five key ideas The theory of Evolution by Natural Selection is a biologica theory of life its variety and how it changes over time It is not a theory of geology or the universe or technology Is it not the only perspective on Personality but it is a big one and it is a big one Three Basic Principles of the theory 1 The Principle of Variation most important variable when pertaining to this course o Different species and organisms within the same species show variation in their traits see variation across species when certain species can adapt and change to fit into the environment to make their niche o It s nature s protection against environmental change and an unknowable future variability and individual differences are the rule o Ex British and Dutch Great Tit Global warming something has started to happen globally that temperatures rise and the British Great Tits were able to adapt to the temperate change whereas the Dutch Great Tit are struggling to evolve o Importantly Evolutionary processes have no foresight o We re not evolving toward any certain goal Species change w environment changes o Since we don t know what traits we will need best to keep a o Ex Pushiness or Assertiveness in US vs Bulgaria different variety around customs and cultures o In humans some mechanisms seems to ensure variability o Ex The Sweaty T shirt Study Wedekind 2008 men sleep in t shirt for 4 nights then they bring women in to smell the shirts and there is something unconsciously knows that the immune system is a little bit different but not too different 2 The Principle of inheritance o Inheritance traits are heritable passed from one generation o Adaptation some traits enable individuals to be better adapted to the selective pressures of their environments successful at getting their genes to the next generation o AKA to have fitness the ability to survive and reproduce viable to the next offspring o We measure whether a trait increases fitness if it helps them with natural selection think survival cautious risky smarter stronger o Darwin s finches each of his finches had different beaks that each worked as different tools o Human s appetite disgust response 3 The Principle of Adaptation The two mechanisms of the theory 1 Natural Selection 2 Sexual Selection Pressures of Sexual Selection many organisms compete for reproductive opportunities 80 of human females but only 40 of males have reproduced a More competition between the sexes b Some traits become more exaggerated via being sexually selected i e the Peacock tail costly attribute intersexual competition c Giraffe neck intra sexual competition The Functionalist Perspective o Humans Creativity humor whatever can demonstrate social value is much more preferred over other qualities with no or little social value o Thus our traits are largely evolved for fitness in an outdates Environment of Evolutionary Adaptedness EEA o Hasn t exited for 10 000 years o Complex traits requires 1 000 10 000 generations to evolve 20 000 200 000 o We re living in a modern world with stone age minds o Obesity epidemic in America understand overeating by linking it back to evolved physiological systems o Micro evolutions sine the Agricultireal Revolution o Lactose Tolerance Skin Pigmentation Evolutionary perspectives on universal life tasks How does this connect to Personality o To meet the Ultimate goals of evolution organisms must cintend with a number of proximate goals day to day o Ultimate survival and reproduction o Proximate not starving attracting a mte building alliance o From evolutionary aspect presonality is the typical ways in which one goes on about compelling all these proximate goals o Ex Douglass Kenrick 2010 cannot move up the pyramid until the basic tasks are taken care of o Par enti ng Mate Retention low jealousy vs high jealousy Mate Acqusition Status Esteem prestige motives vs dominance motives Affiliation fear of strangers self protection high introversion in socciety or could have a lot of friends Immediate physiolgocial needs morning person or a night person ParentingMate Retention low jealousy vs high jealousyMate AcqusitionStatus Esteem prestige motives vs dominance motivesAffiliation fear of strangersself protection high introversion in socciety or could have a lot of friends Immediate physiolgocial needs morning person or a night person
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