PSYC14H3 Chapter Notes - Chapter 2: Gombe Stream National Park, Sweet Potato, Cultural Learning
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Imitative learning: the learner internalizes something of the model"s goals and behavioural strategies; the learner is coping precisely what it thinks the model is trying to do. Language facilitates cultural learning: sophisticated cultural learning is possible b/c humans have a theory of mind, a second related adaptation that fostered humans" abilities to engage in cultural learning is language. In other species, the learning and retention of cultural knowledge is so poor that they are unable to build on each other"s discoveries. Chimpanzees: although chimpanzees have large brains, the encephalization quotient of humans is almost double theirs, over the 5-7 million years of evolution that separated humans and chimps, our brains grew at a rapid pace. 6: by cooking our food, we were able to evolve a much smaller digestive tract, which freed up much energy to be used by our brains, cooking, a cultural invention, is thus partly responsible for our biological nature.
