Learning Targets
Module 15
Evolutionary
Psychology:
Understanding
Human Nature
15-2 Discuss evolutionary explanations
for male-female differences in sexuality
and mating preferences.
15-1 Describe evolutionary psychologists’
use of natural selection to explain
behavior tendencies.
15-3 Explain the key criticisms of
evolutionary explanations of human
sexuality, and discuss how evolutionary
psychologists respond.
15-4 Describe the biopsychosocial
approach to development.
How do evolutionary psychologists
use natural selection to explain behavior?
Darwin’s principles of
natural selection
guide evolutionary
psychologists in
understanding what
makes humans so
much alike.
Charles Darwin
What is natural selection?
the principle that inherited traits that better
enable an organism to survive and reproduce in a
particular environment will (in competition
with other trait variations) most likely be passed on to
succeeding generations
What is a mutation?
a random error in gene
replication that leads to a change
What are Darwin’s basic principles?
Organisms’ varied offspring compete for survival.
Certain biological and behavioral variations increase
organisms’ survival chances in their particular
environment.
Offspring that survive are more likely to pass their
genes to the next generation.
Over time population characteristics may change.
How do foxes factor into
this?
Researchers Belyaev and
Trut selectively bred the
tamest foxes and after 30
generations (40 years)
were able to produce
“docile, eager to please,
domesticated” animals.
So psychological traits can
be selected as well as
physical traits.
What about naturally occurring selection?
 Our historical genes give us a great
capacity to learn and to adapt to life in varied
environments, from the tundra to the jungle.
 Genes and experience together wire the brain.
 Our adaptive flexibility in responding
to different environments contributes to our fitness—
our ability to survive and reproduce.
What do evolutionary psychologists believe
about male/female sexuality differences?
males
May be more likely to initiate
sexual activity.
May perceive women’s
friendliness for sexual interest.
females
Tendency toward tall men with
slim waists and broad shoulders.
May prefer men who are mature,
dominant and bold.
What are social scripts?
a culturally modeled guide for how to act in
various situations
For instance, we have social scripts that tell us how to
go out to eat in a restaurant (enter, take a seat, read a
menu, order, eat, pay the bill, leave)
and social scripts that give indications of how men
and women, elderly and young, etc., might act in a
society.
Criticism of the evolutionary
perspective on sexuality…
Start with the effect and work backward
to explain what happened.
Try to explain today’s behavior with
decisions made thousands of years ago.
There are social consequences to
accepting evolutionary explanations.
How do evolutionary psychologists
respond to this criticism?
Much of who we are is NOT
hardwired…genes are NOT destiny.
Men and women are far more alike than
different.
Some traits and behaviors are hard to
explain in terms of natural selection.
What is the biopsychosocial
approach to development?
Genes, environment and our culture all combine to
influence our development.
1. What Would You Answer?
The interaction of biological influences,
psychological influences, and social-cultural
influences on our behavior is known as
A. evolutionary psychology.
B. epigenetics.
C. the biopsychosocial approach.
D. consciousness.
E. natural selection.
Learning Target 15-1 Review
Describe evolutionary psychologists’
use of natural selection to explain
behavior tendencies.
 Evolutionary psychologists consider how natural
selection results in traits being passed on to future
generations.
 Some genetic variations arise from mutations others
from new gene combinations at conception.
 Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution anticipated today’s
application of evolutionary principles in psychology.
Learning Target 15-2 Review
Discuss evolutionary explanations for
male-female differences in sexuality
and mating preferences.
Women tend to be more selective than men when choosing
sexual partners.
Evolutionary psychologists reason that:
 men’s attraction to multiple healthy, fertile-appearing
partners increases their chances of spreading their genes
widely.
 women search for mature mates who will share child
rearing with them, increasing the odds of the offspring’s
survival.
Learning Target 15-3 Review
Explain the key criticisms of evolutionary
explanations of human sexuality, and discuss how
evolutionary psychologists respond.
Critics argue that evolutionary psychologists
 start with an effect and work backward to an
explanation,
 do not recognize social and cultural influences, and
 absolve people from taking responsibility for their
sexual behavior.
genes are not destiny
Learning Target 15-3 Review cont.
Explain the key criticisms of evolutionary
explanations of human sexuality, and discuss how
evolutionary psychologists respond.
 Evolutionary psychologists agree that genes are not
destiny, and respond that understanding our
predispositions can help us overcome them.
 They also cite the value of testable predictions based
on evolutionary principles, which is the scientific goal of
evolutionary psychology.
Learning Target 15-4 Review
Describe the biopsychosocial
approach to development.
 Biological: shared human genome; individual variations;
prenatal environment; and sex-related genes,
hormones, and physiology.
 Psychological: gene-environment interactions; effect of
early experiences on neural networks; responses
evoked by our own characteristics; and personal
beliefs, feelings, and expectations.
 Social-cultural: parental and peer influences, cultural
traditions and values, and cultural gender norms.