Psych 1

mental ability and evolved behaviors

3 theories of evolution (origins of the complex)

these are funtional; designed to solve adaptive problems- survival and reproductive; behavior is a function of this

immediate causal forces explaining psychological mechanisms

the "why" and deeper level of analysis of explaining psychological mechanisms

the change of an



organic living structure over time

(1744-1829) the inheritance of aquired characteristics, natural tendancy for each species to progress to a higher form

Curvier (1769-1832) species which are extinguished by sudden catastrophies are replaced by different species

the start of Darwin's observations leading to his Theory

favorable variations are preseved/survive, nfavorable variations die off (Matthus's essay) organsims exist in such high numbers, it is impossible for the all to survive

whe the process of "struggle for existence" is repeated over many generations, the result is the formation of a new species

natual selection, provides the "raw materials" for evolution

natural selection, variation that are inherited from parents

natural selection, variation that is inherited because those variations are selected which helped in the task of survival or reproduction

the bottom line of Darwin's Theory- the characteristics get passed down by species who reproduce

focus on adaptations that have arisen as a result of successful mating than successful survival

males competing for sexual access to a female (or visa versa) single gender competition

opposite genders choose mates based on certain characteristics, preferential mate choice

random changes in the genetic makeup of a population

genetic drift, random hereditary changes in DNA

genetic drift, new colony is not representative of the intire original population

genetic drift, the survival of a subset of a species after a casastrophy

characteristics parents pass to offspring biologically, not aquired characteristics, do not change

made up of genes, is split in conception

concept that parent passes on one half of their origional genes and they are not split or "mixed" witht he genes of the other parent

the study of proximate (immediate causal forces) mechanisms and adaptive value of animal behavior

(Lorenz) ducks following the first thing they see when born

(Hamilton) the indirect success of reproducing and passing genes by helping those of the same genes survive, not on a conscious level

success of direct reproduction of genes

species with charateristics that benefit the group survival (Williams got rif of this idea)

evolved solutions to problems in survival or reproduction

Triver's Seminal Theories, relationship evolution, taking care of non kin with the hope that in any given situation they would do the same

Triver's Seminal Theories, sexual selection based on amount of time parents are involved in reproduction (ex. women are more selective because they spend more than 9 months, while men can spend as little as several minutes)

offspring desires all the resources they need, parent dasires to disribute resources evenly to better the genetic code

laid the groundwork for other psychologists to better answer the good quetions that he brings up, consciousness and instincts (survival and reproduction can be condenced to sexual instinct)

founder of Psychology

founded radical behaviorism

proven instinctive behavor or behavorism theories, more time with nurturer vs. food source

taste aversions

a new scientifice synthesis of modern evolutionary biology and modern psychology

the theory that a Diety created everything (single-celled organisms to the human brain)

the theory that something outside the earth brought the "seeds" for life here and they evolved from the "seeds"

only accepted theory to explein the diversity of life/adaptations, does not explain how life began

a product of evolution, inharited characteristics that become more profound through natural selection because it is helpful to survival/reproduction/both

a product of evolution, characteristices that are not functional, but happen along with an adaptation (ex. belly buttons as a result of the adaptation of umbilical cords)

the ranfom effects of adapration (ex. the particular shape of a belly button)

an adaptation that denotes a characteristic, change of the reason of an adaptation

an adaptation with characteristics that may have evolved but no longer serve a functional purpose

level of evolutionary analysis, the overarching understanding of the evolutionary theory

level of evolutionary analysis, fairly broad but under the general umbrella of understanding the evolutionary theory

a specific hypothesis using a strategy derived from an exsisting theory

a specific hypothesis using a strategy derived from an observation

a set of processes inside on organism with (SDTIOO) properties