PSYC 3420 Chapter 8: Evolutionary Psychology Textbook Notes Chapter 8
7 Feb 2018
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Theory and implications of inclusive fitness: favouritism that parents show their own children is a special case of favouritism toward the vehicles that contain copies of their genes. Hamilton"s rule: the inclusive fitness of an organism is not a property of himself, but a property of its actions or effects. You could jump in the water to save them, but you would lose your own life. According to hamilton"s rule, selection will favour decision rules that, on average, result in your jumping into the water to save three of your brothers, but not one. You would be predicted not to sacrifice your own life for just one brother, because that would violate hamilton"s rule. This is sometimes called an evolutionary constraint because only genes that meet the conditions of hamilton"s rule can evolve. Sibships: brothers and sisters pose unique adaptive problems, first, a brother or a sister can be a major social ally.
