Evolutionary Psych

why do infants start fearing strangers when they learn to walk?

more freedom=more awareness of their surroundins and what could be seen as a threat

why do people find children’s features cute?

so our brain makes a connection; if it’s cute and we like it we want to protect it

why are people more likely to have phobias of spiders or snakes rather than guns or electricity?

evolution; people back then didn’t have guns or electricity

why do men want young woman with wider hips?

better able to have and care for children (pass genes on)

why do women want mature, healthy, dominant men?

someone to proetct them and their young, good genes

what happens to development without much stimulation

impaired; neural connections are no longer being used and may be recruited for other purposes

what casues boy like vs girl like behaviors

people expect boys and girls to act certain ways; hormones

why are some people attracted to a certain gender

biologically determined but not independent of culture

what makes us identify as boy or girl

historically; what were you born as and is it set from birth

nature (genes) vs nurture (environment)

• humans are physically and behaviorally diverse (intelligence, agression, happiness)

• how can we tell is a behavior is caused by one or the other

• genes are important determinants of both physical and behavioral traits

• environment is EVERYTHING that isn’t gene (friends, what mom ate while pregnant)

same genes and environment

(twin studies)

identical raised together

same genes different environment 

(twin studies)

identical raised apart

different genes same environment

(twin studies)

fraternal raised together

different genes and environment

(twin studies)

fraternal raised apart

if trait x is more similar in identical raised together than apart

trait x depends on environment

if trait x is more similar in identical twins raised together than fraternal raised together

trait x depends on genes