PSYCH 112 Chapter Notes - Chapter 1: Bipedalism, Enculturation, Sexual Reproduction
Document Summary
Our species" unique degree of behavioral flexibility is made possible by a new kind of mind. That this mind is itself the product of two interacting streams of heredity. One biological leading to an enlarged, reorganized, and hyper- energized brain. One cultural leading to rapid adjustment to local material and social conditions via enculturation. Three major adaptations that distinguish us from other species: The hand capable of both a power grip pressure between fingers and the palm and a precision grip pressure between the fingers and the thumb. The human mind our species has a massively upgraded mind compared to that of other species. Improvements to the brain and the development of cultural transmission enable us to develop a suite of mental faculties outperforming by far that of any other species. Behavioral flexibility: humans" central survival strategy; an information- processing or computational phenomenon.