Module 12: Evolutionary Psychology: Explaining Human Nature and Nurture

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms from the Evolutionary Psychology notes, including natural selection, domestication, genetic variation, and related concepts.

Evolutionary psychology

The study of the evolution of behavior and the mind, using principles of natural selection.

Natural selection

Inherited traits that better enable an organism to survive and reproduce in a given environment are more likely to be passed on to future generations.

Adaptation

A trait that increases an organism's fitness in its environment.

Mutation

A random error in gene replication that leads to a change; occasional mutations test alternative possibilities.

Fitness

Our ability to survive and reproduce.

Shared human genome

Humans share a common genetic profile; most genetic variation exists within populations rather than between groups.

Genetic variation within populations

Approximately 95% of human genetic variation exists within populations.

Genetic differences among populations

No more than about 5% of genetic differences arise from population group differences.

Universal moral grammar

A set of moral instincts shared across cultures, rooted in our prehistoric social life.

Domestication

The process of taming animals for interaction with humans; achieved here via selective breeding of foxes.

Selective breeding (artificial selection)

Humans deliberately choose individuals with desirable traits to reproduce, shaping a new breed.

Tamest selection

Selecting the tamest portion of a population (e.g., 20% of females, 5% of males) for breeding.

Docile

Easily trained or naturally friendly and tame.

Beast to Beauty

Phrase describing the foxes' transformation from wild and aggressive to friendly and domesticated.

Gene-environment interaction

Genes and experiences together shape the brain and behavior, enabling adaptive learning.