PSY1HPM Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Prefrontal Cortex, Mesolimbic Pathway, Neuroeconomics
30 Jun 2018
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HPM Lecture 6 – Historical Foundations of Psychology (5)
Darwin and Evolution
Charles Darwin was the first person to propose a mechanism for evolution – natural selection
Darwin argued that within a species there is heritable variability – natural forces select traits that are adaptive
(survival of the fittest)
The natural variations that result in more offspring are known as adaptive traits – characteristics that help an
organism survive
Selection of organisms occurs ‘naturally’ because organisms with fewer adaptive traits are less likely to survive
and reproduce, hence the genes for those traits are selected out over time
What is Evolutionary Psychology
Evolutionary Psychology = Evolutionary Biology + Cognitive Psychology
Evolutionary psychologists seek to understand the human mind/brain from an evolutionary perspective
The guiding principle of the evolutionary perspective is that the design of the mind must have been shaped by
natural selection (including sexual selection)
Consequently, our mental lives and behaviours reflect the evolutionary history of our species, particularly the
adaptive problems that had to be solved
Evolutionary psychology can be viewed as a form of reverse engineering. Engineers begin with a problem, and
then design a machine that can solve the problem efficiently – thus the machine’s structure reflects its function
Evolutionary psychologists start with the brain (machine) and try to figure out how it works.
Knowing what kinds of problems, the brain was designed to solve makes this reverse-engineering task much
easier.
Evolutionary Psychology & Functionalism
The evolutionary perspective argues that behavioural tendencies in modern humans, from sexual jealousy to
concern for children, evolved because they helped our ancestors survive (i.e., they served a function) and raise
healthy offspring e.g., it is adaptive for young children to experience distress when they are separated from their
parents.
From an evolutionary perspective, a strong emotional bond between parent and child ensures that they will stay
close together, especially whilst the child is young and vulnerable. Consequently, children with a strong bond are
more likely to survive and pass their genes on to the next generation.
For an evolutionary psychologist, traits evident in modern humans must have served a function (i.e., been
adaptive) in human precursor species – otherwise the trait would have died out. Evolutionary psychologists are
interested in physical traits (e.g., having binocular vision allows us to perceive depth), cognitive traits (e.g.,
language facilitated social bonding), and emotional traits (e.g., sexual jealousy)
For evolutionary psychologists, understanding of human mental processes, motivations and behaviours
necessitates understanding of their evolution.
Nature vs Nurture
Is human behaviour determined by our biology (nature) or learned (nurture)? The nature-nurture controversy
concerns the degree to which inborn processes determine human behaviour.
The striking similarities in behaviour between humans and other animals suggests that much of our behaviour is
rooted in our biology
Research suggests that the majority of psychological processes reflect an interaction between nature and nurture
– both biology and learning play a role in determining human behaviour
Behavioural Genetics
Whereas evolutionary psychology is focussed on understanding how natural selection shaped species-typical
behaviour during the course of evolution, behavioural geneticists are interested in the behavioural variability
amongst individuals that results from genetic influences.
Whereas evolutionary psychology is focussed on understanding how natural selection shaped species-typical
behaviour during the course of evolution, behavioural geneticists are interested in the behavioural variability
amongst individuals that results from genetic influences
Research finds that roughly 20-60% of the variance between individuals on a given psychological characteristic
can be attributed to the genes.
Reproductive Success
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Hpm lecture 6 historical foundations of psychology (5) Charles darwin was the first person to propose a mechanism for evolution natural selection. Darwin argued that within a species there is heritable variability natural forces select traits that are adaptive (survival of the fittest) The natural variations that result in more offspring are known as adaptive traits characteristics that help an organism survive. Selection of organisms occurs naturally" because organisms with fewer adaptive traits are less likely to survive and reproduce, hence the genes for those traits are selected out over time. Evolutionary psychology = evolutionary biology + cognitive psychology. Evolutionary psychologists seek to understand the human mind/brain from an evolutionary perspective. The guiding principle of the evolutionary perspective is that the design of the mind must have been shaped by natural selection (including sexual selection) Consequently, our mental lives and behaviours reflect the evolutionary history of our species, particularly the adaptive problems that had to be solved.
