Biology & Personality

Front 1

How have the basic principles of evolutionary theory been adapted to the study of personality?

Back 1

1. Evolutionary psychologists believe that our basic psychological processes are the product of natural selection and sexual selection.

2. Our psychological processes are seen as adaptations to the survival and reproductive challenges faced by our ancestors.

Front 2

What is altruism?

Back 2

Altruism: A desire to help others, often at the risk of one’s own well-being.

Front 3

What hypotheses has the evolutionary approach generated regarding altruism?

Back 3

Theory of inclusive fitness: Organisms are motivated to enhance the survival and reproductive potential of those who are genetically similar to them.

Front 4

Following from the theory of inclusive fitness, evolutionary psychologists generated two hypotheses:

Back 4

Hypothesis A: Helping behaviour increases as the degree of genetic overlap increases between the helper and the recipient. (we help our relatives)
Hypothesis B: Helping behaviour increases as the reproductive potential of one’s kin member (i.e., relative) increases. (we help if it helps one of ours to reproduce)

Front 5

Explain Burnstein et al. (1994)

How does this relate to altruism?

Back 5

Recruited American and Japanese participants and had them imagine that people were asleep in a rapidly burning building.

They could only save one person, who would they be most willing to save.

Results indicated they were more likely to help those they were genetically related to (confirms Hyp. A) and young people (Hyp. B)

Front 6

What hypotheses has the evolutionary approach generated regarding sex differences in the desire for sexual variety?

Back 6

Females and males differ in their reproductive capacity and the minimal parental investment that is required to produce an offspring:

Females: Can bear 8 – 12 offspring across life
Males: Can bear an almost unlimited number

Front 7

What do these differing reproductive capacities & minimal parental investment levels mean for the sexes when they want to mate?

Back 7

males and females have developed different strategies to maximize their reproductive potential:

Males: Employ strategies that enable them to copulate with as many females as possible.

Females: Employ strategies that restrict copulation to males who are able to provide care and resources for the offspring.

Front 8

Given that the sexes employ differing reproductive strategies due to their differing capacities, what 2 hypotheses have evolutionary psychologists developed?

Back 8

Hypothesis A: Males are less discriminating in their selection of sexual partners than females.

Hypothesis B: Males are inclined to seek more sexual partners than females.

Front 9

Explain the results of Clark and Hatfield's (1984) study

Back 9

Having had confederates ask students of opp. sex one of 3 questions (date?apartment?sex?) they found that men were much more willing than women to say yes. The only comparable responses were to the request for a date (M 50%. W 55%)

Front 10

Explain Buss and Schmitt (1993)

What about the follow up study by Schmitt et al. (2003)?

Back 10

When asked unmarried participants how many sex partners they would like to have through to the end of their lives, men reported three times more partners than women.

Schmitt et al. (2003): Found similar sex differences across 52 nations (e.g., Argentina, Austria, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Greece, Israel, Italy, Japan, Lebanon, Slovakia, Zimbabwe, US).

Front 11

What are the basic principles of evolutionary theory?

Back 11

Darwin proposed two processes through which evolution occurs:

1. Natural Selection
2. Sexual Selection

Front 12

Explain Natural Selection in three steps

give an example

Back 12

Organisms who possess characteristics that enhance their ability to survive are more likely to live to reproductive age and pass these characteristics on to the next generation.

Offspring who inherit these characteristics are more likely to survive to reproductive age and pass the characteristics on to yet the next generation.

Across successive generations, the “survival- enhancing” characteristics increase in frequency until they characterize most members of the species.

e.g. preference for sweet, fatty, salty food among humans

Front 13

Define Sexual Selection

Back 13

A process through which organisms develop characteristics that enhance their ability to reproduce.

Front 14

What two mechanisms did Darwin propose sexual selection working through?

Back 14

(a) Intrasexual selection

(b) Intersexual selection

Front 15

How does Intrasexual selection work?

Back 15

Occurs when same sex organisms compete for the sexual interest of the opposite sex.

Organisms who possess characteristics that enable them to “win” the sexual interest of the opposite sex are more likely to mate and pass these characteristics on to the next generation.

Then just as in natural selection, over time these characteristics come to characterize most members of the that sex of the species.

e.g: The aerial hover display of the male bronzed cowbird.

Front 16

How does intersexual selection work?

Back 16

Organisms who possess characteristics that are desirable to the opposite sex are more likely to mate and pass these characteristics on to the next generation.

Offspring who inherit these characteristics are more likely to mate and pass the characteristics on to yet the next generation.

Across successive generations, the desirable characteristics increase in frequency until they characterize most members of that sex of the species.

Front 17

What is Intersexual selection?

Back 17

Occurs when organisms of one sex prefer to mate with organisms of the opposite sex who possess specific, desirable characteristics.

e.g. brilliant plumage of the male peacock