Evolutionary psychology

definition

researches

theory of evolution(Charles Darwin)

differential fitness

the need to survive and reproduce

survival of the fittest

natural selection

disgust

Curtis, Aunger and Rabie (2004)

gets weaker the older you get

should be more pronounced in females(have to protect their baby)

should feel stronger when in contact with strangers

should operate the same across cultures

should be felt more when the stimulus is visible

evolution: a process in which organisms change from generations to generations

states that survival and reproduction rates vary between individual

less adapted die out or are unable to produce offspring

the ones with less adaptation do not pass on their genes and those genes dissappear from the population gene pool

more adapted-more offspring

common ancestry of species

tries to explain psychological traits or behaviors as adaptations

Kin selection theory

Research of attachment

Chiao and Blizinsky(2010) gene-culture co-evolution theory

An organism helps another organism with no reward or even at some cost to itself

tries to explain why common sensitivity to depression occurs most in collectivistic societies

statistically there the sensitivity of depression itself is lower

serotonin transporter gene makes people more vulnerable to stressful event

there is a higher amount of this in collectivistic societies

So basically collectivistic society could prevent depression, has to do with cohesion

BUFFER: ISKUNVAIMENNIN

Staying close to the attachment figures in unfamiliar potentially dangerous situations as it learns how to behave and act

Venturing outside and exploring the world to develop necessary life skills as it learns how to behave and act

Harlow(1958)

Aim is to test learning theory by comparing attachment behaviour in baby monkeys given a wire surrogate mother producing milk with those given a soft towelling mother producing no milk

method

  • 2 types of surrogate mothers were constructed- a harsh wire mother and a soft towelling mother.
  • 16 baby monkeys were used, 4 in each of 4 conditions:

○ C1: a cage containing a wire mother producing milk and towelling mother producing no milk

○ C2: a cage containing a wire mother producing no milk and a towelling mother producing milk

○ C3: a cage containing a wire mother producing milk

○ C4: a cage containing a towelling mother producing milk

  • The amount of time spent with each mother as well as feeding was recorded. The monkeys were also frightened with a loud noise to test for mother preference during stress and a larger cage was also used to test the monkeys degree of exploration.

results

  • Monkeys preferred contact with the towelling mother when given a choice of surrogate mother, regardless of whether she produced milk; they even stretched across to the wire mother to feed while still clinging to the towelling mother.
  • Monkeys with only a wire mother clung showed signs of stress and when monkeys were frightened they clung to the towelling mother when she was available.
  • Monkeys with the larger cage also explored more and visited their mother more often
  • The monkeys have an innate, unlearned need for comfort suggesting that attachment concerns emotional security rather than food.
  • Comfort is associated with lower levels of stress and a willingness to explore indicating emotional security.

has evolved as a protection from a disease

if true, these conditions need to be fulfilled

BBC did a survey on this with larger amount of participants: 40 000, from 165 countries

asked to rate 20 photographs from 1-10 in order of how disgusting they look

fullfilled all 5 conditions