BIOSOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
FSHD 607
SPRING 2005 SYLLABUS
INSTRUCTOR:
Bruce J. Ellis, Ph.D.
Office: FCS 210c
Phone: (520) 626-5703
Email: bjellis@email.arizona.edu
OFFICE HOURS:
Fridays at 1-2pm (or by appointment).
CLASS MEETINGS: Mondays 1:00-3:50 in FCS 104.
DESCRIPTION:
This course will provide an overview of the emerging field of
evolutionary developmental psychology (EDP). This field has been
defined as “the application of the basic principles of Darwinian
evolution, particularly natural selection, to explain contemporary
human development. It involves the study of the genetic and
environmental mechanisms that underlie the universal development
of social and cognitive competencies and the evolved epigenetic
(gene-environment interactions) processes that adapt these
competencies to local conditions; it assumes that not only are
behaviors and cognitions that characterize adults the product of
selection pressures operating over the course of evolution, but so
also are characteristics of children’s behaviors and minds"
(Bjorklund & Pellegrini, 2002, p. 4).
In studying EDP, major topics covered in this course include
evolutionary theory, the role of gene-environment interactions in
development, life history theory and development of reproductive
strategies, functions of the prolonged human childhood, early stress
and stress reactivity, differential susceptibility to rearing influence,
sibling relationships, male and female groups, theory of mind,
incest avoidance, and educational psychology.
READINGS:
Required text
The following volume (OSM) will serve as a primary reader for the
course: Ellis, B.J., & Bjorklund, D.F. (Eds.) (2005). Origins of the
social mind: Evolutionary psychology and child development. New
York: Guilford Press.
Recommended text
Parts of the following book (OHN) will also be assigned: Bjorklund,
D.F., & Pellegrini, A.D. (2002). The Origins of Human Nature:
Evolutionary Developmental Psychology. Washington, D.C.: APA.
In addition, a set of course readings consisting of journal articles
will be available from the instructor (see class schedule below for
weekly reading assignments), including at least one empirical
article per week. The reading of an empirical article is intended to
facilitate the study of research methods in EDP. For part of each
weekly meeting, we will analyze the research design and
quantitative methods used in the article.
DISCUSSION,
REACTIONS,
AND CLASS
PARTICIPATION:
The class will follow a discussion seminar format. As such,
students are expected to complete all required readings prior to each
class session and to participate actively in class discussions of the
material. In addition, each week students will be asked to prepare a
comment-and-question (C&Q) that was provoked by the readings.
This C&Q will have a written component (200-300 words) that will
be posted to the course listserve by Friday at 5pm, so that everyone
can look the C&Q over before we meet on Monday. In addition,
the C&Q will have a verbal component that will be presented in
class. That is, each week you will give a brief presentation (3-5
minutes) that presents your C&Q. In short, you will be responsible
for teaching 3-5 minutes of the class each week, and you will help
facilitate any discussion that follows from your presentation.
The purpose of the C&Q is to help stimulate you to think more
deeply about some aspect of a given topic or issue and to come to
class prepared to discuss it. A good C&Q does more than just
request information or clarification: it raises issues, explores
implications, challenges assumptions, or juxtaposes ideas. The
main focus of your C&Q could be theoretical, empirical, or
methodological (e.g., criticism’s of a study’s conceptualization,
method, or interpretation; theoretically logical suggestions for new
directions for research; presentation of evidence for or against a
given argument or hypothesis; meaningful connections with
readings from a previous week or previous course).
RESEARCH
PROPOSAL
Each student will be required to write a research proposal on some
topic related to evolutionary developmental psychology. A draft of
the proposal will be due April 8th, and the final paper will be due
not later than May 8th. I will be happy to meet with students
individually to discuss ideas for their proposals. In addition, I will
schedule individual meetings with each student during the week of
April 18th to review and give feedback on the draft proposals.
During the last two weeks of the course, each student will present
his or her proposal to the class. (More detailed guidelines and
suggestions will be provided.)
GRADING
In determining the final letter grade for the course, the C&Qs and
class participation will will count 60%. The research proposal will
count 40%.
SCHEDULE:
WEEK
READING
TOPIC
ASSIGNMENT
---------------
Jan 24
Durrant, R., & Ellis, B.J. (2003). Evolutionary
Psychology: Core Assumptions and Methodology.
In M. Gallagher & R.J. Nelson (Eds.),
Comprehensive handbook of psychology, Vol. 3:
Biological psychology (pp. 1-33). New York: Wiley
& Sons.
Introduction to
EDP
Jan 31
OSM, Chapters 1 & 5
Rutter, M. et al. (1997). Integrating nature and
nurture: Implications of person-environment
correlations and interactions for developmental
psychopathology. Development &
Psychopathology, 9, 335-364.
Turkheimer, E. et al. (2003). Socioeconomic
status modifies heritability of IQ in young
children. Psychological Science, 14, 623-628.
Gene-environment
interactions in
development
C&Q #1
Feb 7
OSM, Chapter 2
OHN, Chapter 3
Blurton-Jones, N., & Marlow, F. (2002).
Selection for delayed maturity: Does it take 20
years to learn to hunt and gather? Human
Nature, 13, 199-238.
Evolutionary
functions of
childhood
C&Q #2
Feb 14
OSM, Chapter 3
Belsky, J., Steinberg, L., & Draper, P. (1991).
Childhood experience, interpersonal
development, and reproductive strategy: An
evolutionary theory of socialization. Child
Development, 62(4), 647-670.
Ellis, B.J. et al. (2003). Does father absence
place daughters at special risk for early sexual
activity and teenage pregnancy? Child
Development, 74, 801-821.
Life history theory
and child
development
C&Q #3
Feb 21
OSM, Chapters 7 & 8
Mendle, J. et al. (under review). Stepfather
Presence and Age at Menarche: A Children of
Twins Approach.
Adolescence
C&Q #4
Feb 28
OSM, Chapter 6
Susceptibility to
Boyce, W. T., & Ellis, B. J. (in press). Biological environmental
influence
sensitivity to context: I. An evolutionarydevelopmental theory of the origins and
functions of stress reactivity. Development &
Psychopathology.
Ellis, B.J., Essex, M.J., & Boyce, W.T. (in press).
Biological sensitivity to context: II. Empirical
explorations of an evolutionary-developmental
theory. Development & Psychopathology.
C&Q #5
Mar 7
OSM, Chapter 10
Hertwig, R., Davis, J.N., & Sulloway, F.J.
(2002). Parental investment: How an equity
motive can produce inequality. Psychological
Bulletin, 128, 728-745.
Paulhaus, D.L., Trapnell, P.D., & Chen, D.
(1999). Birth order effects on personality and
achievement within families. Psychological
Science, 10, 482-488.
Draper, P. & Hames, R. (2000). Birth order,
sibling investment, and fertility among the
Ju/Hoansi (!Kung). Human Nature, 11, 117-156.
Parental
investment, sibling
relationships, and
personality
development
C&Q #6
Mar 14
-------------
Spring Break
Mar 21
OSM, Chapter 9
Interactions,
relationships, and
OHN, Chapter 9
groups
Low, B.S. (1989). Cross-cultural patterns in
training of children: An evolutionary perspective.
Journal of Comparative Psychology, 103, 311-19.
C&Q #7
Mar 28
OSM, Chapter 12
Williams, L.M. & Finkelhor, D.F. (1995).
Paternal caregiving and incest: Test of a
biosocial model. American Journal of
Orthopsychiatry, 65, 101-113.
Lieberman, D., Tooby, J., & Cosmides, L.
(2003). Does morality have a biological basis?
An empirical test of the factors governing moral
sentiments related to incest. Proceeding of the
Royal Society of London B, 270, 819-826.
Weisfeld, G.E. et al. (2003). Possible olfactionbased mechanisms in human kin recognition and
inbreeding avoidance. Journal of Experimental
Child Psychology, 85, 279-295.
C&Q #8
Incest avoidance
Apr 4
Apr 8
Apr 11
OSM, Chapter18
OHN, Chapter 7
Keenan, T., & Ellis, B.J. (2003). Children’s
performance on a false belief task is impaired by
activation of an evolutionarily-canalized
response system. Journal of Experimental Child
Psychology, 85, 236-256.
Theory of mind
Preliminary research proposals due (5pm).
OSM, Chapter 19
Hyson, M.C. et al. (1990). Academic
environments in preschool: Challenge or
pressure? Early education and development, 1,
401-423.
Geary, D.C. (2002). Principles of evolutionary
educational psychology. Learning and individual
differences, 12, 317-345.
Apr 18
Evolutionary
educational
psychology
No class:
Individuals
meetings with B.
Ellis to review
research proposals
Apr 25
(Student presenters are encouraged to assign an
article relevant to their presentation.)
Presentation of
research proposals
May 2
(Student presenters are encouraged to assign an
article relevant to their presentation.)
Presentation of
research proposals
May 8
(Finals
Week)
C&Q #9
Final research
proposals due.
C&Q #10