PSYC 3100 Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: Incest Taboo, Life History Theory, Inbreeding Depression
2 Apr 2016
School
Department
Course
Professor
Document Summary
Inbreeding occurs when two individuals more closely related than two randomly chosen individuals. The most extreme form of inbreeding is between first degree relations (mother-son; father-daughter): incest. Inbreeding depression: decrease in fitness of offspring among inbreeding animals. Incest avoidance: a tendency to avoid incest that is shared with other animals. Incest taboo: a social, cultural moral set of rules. Incest is universal, and so are incest taboos. Inbred animals are less viable and have an increased likelihood of sterility: we can predict that ns will favor animals that avoid incest. 34 pairs of siblings aged 4-11 took part 13 full siblings, 10 half siblings and 11 step siblings. Al of the pairs had been living in the same home with their parents for at least the last 2 years. Each mother was given two shirts and asked which smell she preferred, and which she thought was from her own child.
