Experiments Independent variable Dependent variable Issues in Research Is the result important Very large sample sizes might have statistically significant results that may not reflect practically important differences Ethics of research Ex milgrim study deceived to study obedience showed that humans are obedient to authority XYY study Animal work harlow monkey attachment work cat research When its not allowed for humans but the question needs to be answered Harlow s isolation reared monkeys exhibited poor parenting skills as adults Chapter4 Evolution Genes Behavior Range of reaction and heritability Example height if you were starved as a kid you aren t going to reach you re full height potential Heritability How much of that variation is due to genetics It could be none and it could be all Variation scores are from 0 1 Not very heritable manners Having a nose in the center of your face very heritable Charles Darwin 1809 1882 Theory of natural selection survival of the fittest His idea was that forces in the environment select for and against various traits that varied within a population Natural selection rests on 3 ideas Variability in a characteristic Characteristics must be inherited fitness peppered moths industrial melanism Before industrialization in England there were many dark moths bc of dark moss on trees after there were many light moths bc pollution killed moss on trees A relative measure of reproductive success Speculative hominid family tree developed by Ian Tattersall model is not linear but a branching tree All species have the same problems Survival of offspring Solutions vary Precocious species reptiles Many die have huge s of offspring Many prewired behaviors Prewired behavior Dependent species humans Come with fewer prewired behaviors Fewer offspring at a time High parental investment Ethology and Comparative Psychology Ethology branch of biology that studies animal behavior under natural circumstances Comparative psychology a psychological discipline that compares the behavior of various species Important ethological concepts Species specific behaviors Biologically driven behaviors that are characteristic of a given species Ex humans typical form of locomotion is walking upright Sign stimuli releasing mechanisms Sensory stimulation that trigger biologically driven behaviors called fixed action patterns Fixed action patterns mechanisms Biologically driven psychological behaviors triggered by sign stimuli releasing Ex stickleback fish males attack red things sign stimuli is the red things fixed action pattern is the attack Male alpacas sing a song to attract females sign stimuli is the song fixed action pattern is the female laying down Fixed action patterns in human babies gripping and releasing their hands feet baby ness cues may act as releasing mechanisms for nurturing behavior Supernormal stimuli Works better than natural current stimuli Are there releasing mechanisms for sexual attraction in humans Traditionally ethologists said yes Morris Edible Eibesfeldt more recently anthropologists have said no Pigmented protruding lips breasts Behavioral systems Bee dances Human language Sensitive periods Imprinting The geese would attach to and identify with the first moving object they see allows their parents to keep them safe Conrad Lawrence had them imprint on things other than their parents bonding happens in humans babies were prepared to bond parents and babied would form a mutually attractive bond Human language Genie There is a sensitive period from 2 puberty 13 language is easy to learn Biologically based behaviors Personal space we are territorial as a species and we carry around little bubbles of territory and we don t like other people we don t know in our personal space Different countries have different personal spaces the us has the largest personal space implies that some elements of personal space are learned Attraction to facial symmetry what we find attractive in faces in symmetry Animals are also attracted to members of their species that are symmetrical implies good prenatal development Facial Expressions When primates smile they are being subservient Women smile more than men
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