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Toward a Unified Toward a Unified Evolutionary PsychologyEvolutionary Psychology

“Many sciences develop for a “Many sciences develop for a

time as exercises in description time as exercises in description

and empirical generalization. and empirical generalization.

Only later do they acquire Only later do they acquire

reasoned connections within reasoned connections within

themselves and with other themselves and with other

branches of knowledge.”branches of knowledge.”

----George Williams, 1966George Williams, 1966

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Explanations in PsychologyExplanations in Psychology

Attachment TheoryAttachment Theory

Attribution TheoryAttribution Theory

Availability HeuristicAvailability Heuristic

Bystander EffectBystander Effect

Classical ConditioningClassical Conditioning

Cognitive Dissonance TheoryCognitive Dissonance Theory

Stage Theories of DevelopmentStage Theories of Development

Confirmation BiasConfirmation Bias

ConformityConformity

More Explanations in More Explanations in

PsychologyPsychology CultureCulture

Defense MechanismsDefense Mechanisms

DeindividuationDeindividuation

DriveDrive--reduction Theoryreduction Theory

EgocentrismEgocentrism

Equity TheoryEquity Theory

Extrinsic vs. Intrinsic MotivationExtrinsic vs. Intrinsic Motivation

False Consensus EffectFalse Consensus Effect

FeelFeel--good, dogood, do--good phenomenongood phenomenon

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Yet More Explanations in Yet More Explanations in

PsychologyPsychology

FixationFixation

FootFoot--inin--thethe--door phenomenondoor phenomenon

FramingFraming

FrustrationFrustration--Aggression TheoryAggression Theory

Fundamental Attribution ErrorFundamental Attribution Error

Gender IdentityGender Identity

Gender Role TheoryGender Role Theory

GroupthinkGroupthink

Heuristics and BiasesHeuristics and Biases

Yes, there are more Yes, there are more

Explanations in PsychologyExplanations in Psychology

Hindsight BiasHindsight Bias

Identity TheoryIdentity Theory

IndividualismIndividualism

Ingroup BiasIngroup Bias

Internal vs. External Locus of ControlInternal vs. External Locus of Control

JustJust--world phenomenonworld phenomenon

Learned HelplessnessLearned Helplessness

Mere Exposure EffectMere Exposure Effect

Misinformation EffectMisinformation Effect

MoodMood--Congruent Memory EffectCongruent Memory Effect

Motivation TheoryMotivation Theory

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Evolutionary PsychologyEvolutionary Psychology

Adds the “why” questions: Why do Adds the “why” questions: Why do

humans possess psychological humans possess psychological

mechanisms in the form they do?mechanisms in the form they do?

What specific adaptive function does each What specific adaptive function does each

mechanism serve?mechanism serve?

Toward a Unified Evolutionary Toward a Unified Evolutionary PsychologyPsychology

Psychology organized around Psychology organized around adaptiveadaptive

problemsproblems

Progress hinges on discovering Progress hinges on discovering evolvedevolved

solutionssolutions to specific problems…to specific problems…

And And metameta--mechanismsmechanisms that that govern and govern and

sequence activation of other sequence activation of other

mechanismsmechanisms

Are there any other alternatives?Are there any other alternatives?

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Evolutionary PsychologyEvolutionary Psychology

Provides a unifying lens through which to Provides a unifying lens through which to view diverse empirical phenomena.view diverse empirical phenomena.

Unites the different branches of Unites the different branches of psychologypsychology

Unites psychology with the other life Unites psychology with the other life sciencessciences

TOPIC

Why Evolutionary Psychology?

Foundations of EP

Psychological Foundations

The hostile forces of nature: food

The hostile forces of nature: survival

Women’s LT mating strategies

Men’s LT mating strategies

Short-term sexual strategies

Problems of parenting

Problems of kinship

Cooperation

Aggression and warfare

Conflict between the sexes

Status, prestige, dominance

Psychopathology

Memes

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Food selectionFood selection

Disgust reactions in humans to feces, Disgust reactions in humans to feces,

carcinogens, etc.carcinogens, etc.

Finding a Place to Live: Finding a Place to Live: A Womb with a ViewA Womb with a View

The Savanna The Savanna HypothesisHypothesis

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Standards of beauty are in the Standards of beauty are in the

adaptations of the beholderadaptations of the beholder

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-c +b

Hamilton’s rule: Hamilton’s rule: rb rb -- cc > 0> 0

How likely (How likely (rr) ) does have does have

my copy?!my copy?!

Bart’s inclusive fitness =Bart’s inclusive fitness =

1(1(--cc)+)+rr((bb)) > 0> 0

rbrb > > cc

rr

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Dominance: The Genghis Khan Dominance: The Genghis Khan

EffectEffect

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What have we not talked about? What have we not talked about?

Traditional Cognitive PsychologyTraditional Cognitive Psychology

Cognitive architecture is:Cognitive architecture is:

–– General purposeGeneral purpose

–– Content freeContent free

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Tests of spatial skills show that gender differences vary according to the type of task in question. Boys tend to perform better than girls on tasks that involve mental rotation. In the task

shown here, children have to determine which of the responses matches the standard.

GenderGender

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LanguageLanguage

Categorization and inductionCategorization and induction

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Infants have

domain-specif ic

mechanisms

• Math

• Physics

• Psychology

• Animacy

• Causality

“Ov er 90 percent of

them, when poked,

f ailed to make ev en

rudimentary attempts

to def end

themselv es.”

Infants have domain-

general mechanisms

• Habituation

• Associative

learning

• Conditioning

• Imitation

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How do we know where to find evolved How do we know where to find evolved

specialized mechanisms? specialized mechanisms?

High cost

Low cost

High structure Low structure

Predator avoidance

Language learning

Knowledge of animacy cues

Perceptual constancy

Developing

attachments

Math learning

Avoiding heights

Learning about physics

Domain-specific solutions

Domain-general solutions

General questions

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The Standard Social Science ModelThe Standard Social Science Model Tooby and Cosmides (1992)Tooby and Cosmides (1992)

1.1. There is a psychic unity of human nature There is a psychic unity of human nature -- we all have we all have the same basic mental characteristics or “human the same basic mental characteristics or “human nature”nature”

2.2. Differences between people arise from differences in Differences between people arise from differences in experience and culturesexperience and cultures

3.3. Biological constraints on behavior are unimportant: we Biological constraints on behavior are unimportant: we have few “instincts” or biological driveshave few “instincts” or biological drives

4.4. Learning operates by a small number of generalLearning operates by a small number of general--purpose mechanismspurpose mechanisms

5.5. Aim of psychology is to discover how culture and Aim of psychology is to discover how culture and experience, through general learning mechanisms, experience, through general learning mechanisms, produce behaviorproduce behavior

After taking this class After taking this class –– where do you stand? where do you stand?

Do you “buy” into EP? Or do you think that Do you “buy” into EP? Or do you think that the SSSM holds?the SSSM holds?

Have you applied EP to your everyday life? Have you applied EP to your everyday life?

Will you continue to do so?Will you continue to do so?

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Adam’s question

Have you applied EP to your everyday life? Have you applied EP to your everyday life?

How can you use EP in the future? How can you use EP in the future?

TOPIC

Why Evolutionary Psychology?

Foundations of EP

Psychological Foundations

The hostile forces of nature: food

The hostile forces of nature: survival

Women’s LT mating strategies

Men’s LT mating strategies

Short-term sexual strategies

Problems of parenting

Problems of kinship

Cooperation

Aggression and warfare

Conflict between the sexes

Status, prestige, dominance

Psychopathology

Memes

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How far can EP be applied? How far can EP be applied? Does it work for all areas of Does it work for all areas of

psychology or just some? psychology or just some?

How far can EP be applied? How far can EP be applied? Does it work for all areas of Does it work for all areas of

psychology or just some? psychology or just some? Do you see EP as the future direction Do you see EP as the future direction

for psychology? for psychology?

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General questions What would you change about this course? Readings? Book? Assignments? Class format? My

hair?

Final questions or comments?