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Teaching Evolutionary Psychology

Teaching Evolutionary Psychology. David M. Buss. “In the distant future . . . psychology will be based on a new foundation, that of the necessary acquirement of each mental power and capacity by gradation.” --Charles Darwin, 1859. Teaching Tool #1. Convey to students a sense of “deep time”.

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Teaching Evolutionary Psychology

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  1. TeachingEvolutionary Psychology David M. Buss

  2. “In the distant future . . . psychology will be based on a new foundation, that of the necessary acquirement of each mental power and capacity by gradation.” --Charles Darwin, 1859

  3. Teaching Tool #1 • Convey to students a sense of “deep time”

  4. Origins of Modern Humans • Homo Erectus • Migrated from Africa to Asia (1.8 MYA)

  5. Increases in brain size during evolution modern human brain size: 1350 ccs ardipithecus brain size: 300 ccs Australopithe-cus brain size: 310-530 ccs homo habilis brain size: 580-752 ccs homo erectus brain size: 775-1225 ccs Neandertal brain size: 1200-1450 ccs

  6. Milestones in the Origins of Modern Humans

  7. Milestones in the Origins of Modern Humans

  8. Teaching Tool #2 • Teach students that there are multiple levels of causation and explanation.

  9. Turtles

  10. Teaching Tool #3 • Explain the three theories of the origins of complex adaptive mechanisms

  11. 1. Creationism

  12. 2. Seeding theory

  13. 3. Evolution by natural selection

  14. Teaching Tool #4 • Explain the logic of evolution by natural selection

  15. Evolution Before Darwin • Change over time in organic structures: evolution • Characteristics seemed to have a purpose (porcupines, turtles, skunks)

  16. Darwin’s Theory of Natural Selection • The explanatory challenge: 1. why change takes place 2. how new species emerge 3. what the functions are of parts

  17. The answer--natural selection: Variation, inheritance, differential reproduction

  18. The key to natural selection: Differential reproductive success because of heritable variants; everyone has ancestors, but not everyone leaves descendants

  19. Natural selection provided 3 key answers • Explained change over time: descentwithmodification • Explained the apparent purposive quality of component parts: adaptivefunction • United all species into one grand tree of descent: including humans

  20. Darwin Was Deeply Troubled by Facts that Could not Be Explained by Natural Selection

  21. Teaching Tool #5 • Hence, need to explain the tremendous importance of the theory of sexual selection

  22. Sexual Selection

  23. Intersexual Selection:Preferential Mate Choice

  24. Sexual Selection Components • Intrasexual Competition

  25. Teaching Tool #6 • Explain the core tenets of evolutionary psychology

  26. Core Tenets of Evolutionary Psychology • 1. All behavior is a function of psychological mechanisms + input to those mechanisms

  27. Core Tenets of Evolutionary Psychology • 2. All psychological mechanisms, at some basic level, originate from evolutionary processes

  28. Core Tenets of Evolutionary Psychology • 3. Natural and sexual selection are the most important evolutionary processes responsible for creating psychological mechanisms

  29. Core Tenets of Evolutionary Psychology • 4. Evolved psychological mechanisms can be described as information processing devices. Inputs Outputs Decision Rules

  30. Core Tenets of Evolutionary Psychology • 5. Evolved psychological mechanisms are instantiated in the brain.

  31. Core Tenets of Evolutionary Psychology • 6. Evolved psychological mechanisms are functional: Designed to solve statistically recurrent adaptive problems

  32. Teaching Tool #7 • Teach the critical distinction between ultimate and proximate causation

  33. Proximate and Ultimate Causation • Proximate causation: Immediate causal forces—development, input, mechanism • Ultimate causation: Why? [example: Why are men taller than women, on average?]

  34. The “Long Bones” Explanation

  35. Teaching Tool #8 • Explain that humans were not “designed” to understand the causal processes that created their own psychology

  36. What Was the Human Mind Designed to Comprehend?

  37. Teaching Tool #9 • Use examples from the human body

  38. Teaching Tool #10 • Use animal examples

  39. All Species have a Nature

  40. Sexual Conflict Dampwood termites: Antennating males

  41. Animals Mating and Fighting

  42. Teaching Tool #11 • Use examples that relate to what’s important in the lives of students*: • Mating • Cooperation • Aggression • Common clinical problems: depression, eating disorders, etc. • Social conflict *Coincidentally, these are precisely the topics that evolutionary theory suggests tremendously important.

  43. Topics Students Care About

  44. Teaching Tool #12 • Use thought experiments

  45. Illustrative Thought Experiment:Mission Impossible • What would you do if you were a gene? • Your Mission: to increase your replicative success

  46. Inclusive Fitness Revolution • What would you do if you were a gene? • Ensure the survival of your “vehicle” (body) • Making copies of yourself: influence your “vehicle” to reproduce (find fertile mates, etc.) • Aid in the survival and reproduction of other “vehicles” that contain copies of you (help genetic relatives)

  47. Thought Experiment • List all of the qualities women want in a long-term mate. • List all of the qualities men want in a long-term mate.

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