PSYC 110 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Naturalistic Fallacy, Epigenetics, Mitosis
14 Jun 2018
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1/29/2018-1/31
Brain has biases based on previous experiences; computing device, psychology: describe,
predict, and explain behaviors (find causes and manipulate behaviors)
Many things that are not of our conscious free will (have knowledge to decide between
behaviors) in genetics, history, and environment
Four Principles of Evolution by Natural Selection
-There is an overproduction of offspring in each generation
-There is variation in features or traits within members of a generation
-Individual differences are inherited from one generation to the next
-Individuals with collections of traits that fit well with current conditions will survive to pass on
their traits
Behavioral Adaptation: Modification as a Result of Changed Life Circumstances
Examples of physiological adaptation: (webbed feet, claws, fur, scales)
Examples of behavioral adaptations: migration, hibernation, hunting strategies, and tech
Nothing in Biology Makes Sense Except In The Light of Evolution
We all use the same building blocks: DNA
How Genes Affect Behavior
Do NOT produce or control behavior directly
Directly contribute to the development of various brain systems via their ability to create various
proteins
Always an interaction between Genes and Environment
Ex: Songbirds: Genes + Environment (season) = growth in memory areas
Genes + Enviro -> proteins -> Sensory, Motor, neural structures-> behavior
Inheritance of Behavioral Traits: A Balance Between Structure And Flexibility
Importance of Sexual Reproduction: provides genetic variation, dominant/recessive genes
Epigenetics: Traits that are heritable but not necessarily caused by changes in the DNA
sequence
-Lamarckian Inheritance: organisms can pass on acquired characteristics
Natural Selection as a Foundation for Functionalism
Functionalism: an explanation of behavior in terms of what it accomplishes for an individual
Ex: Why songbirds sing in the spring? Why can humans learn language?
-Distal vs. Proximate explanations of behavior
-Distal: evolutionary levels, ultimate causation (ex: songbirds sing bc they get more mates)
-Proximate: explanations that deal with specific mechanisms
Ethical issues of using evolutionary explanations of behavior
We need to be careful about pseudo-evolutionary psych!
Some traits are vestigial (no longer functional)
Ex: infant grasping reflex
Naturalistic fallacy: things that happen in nature doesn’t necessarily make them moral when
experimented/tested upon
Some traits are side effects of natural selection for other traits
Some traits result simply by chance
Evolved mechanisms can’t deal with every situation
Document Summary
Brain has biases based on previous experiences; computing device, psychology: describe, predict, and explain behaviors (find causes and manipulate behaviors) Many things that are not of our conscious free will (have knowledge to decide between behaviors) in genetics, history, and environment. There is an overproduction of offspring in each generation. There is variation in features or traits within members of a generation. Individual differences are inherited from one generation to the next. Individuals with collections of traits that fit well with current conditions will survive to pass on their traits. Behavioral adaptation: modification as a result of changed life circumstances. Examples of physiological adaptation: (webbed feet, claws, fur, scales) Examples of behavioral adaptations: migration, hibernation, hunting strategies, and tech. Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution. We all use the same building blocks: dna. Directly contribute to the development of various brain systems via their ability to create various proteins.
