Evolutionary Psychology and Stereotypes

This set of flashcards covers key concepts from evolutionary psychology, life history theory, stereotypes, and related social psychology frameworks.

What is the main premise of the Cosmides & Tooby article regarding human behavior?

Human behavior is shaped by evolution, with specialized brain modules for mate choice and cheating detection.

What does Life History Theory (LHT) explain?

LHT explains how people adapt their behavior based on early environments, where harsh conditions lead to fast strategies and stable environments lead to slow strategies.

What are the three premises of natural selection as per Darwin's contribution?

Overproduction, Variation, and Differential Reproduction.

How does natural selection relate to human behavior according to evolutionary psychology?

Natural selection shapes behavior by enabling the brain to solve ancestral problems.

What does the term 'discounting the future' mean in the context of Life History Theory?

It refers to the preference for immediate rewards over larger future rewards, typically measured through delay discounting tasks.

What is the distinction between cognitive miser and motivated tactician?

Cognitive miser refers to using mental shortcuts to conserve resources, while motivated tactician adjusts cognitive resources based on goals and motivations.

What is the purpose of the IAT (Implicit Association Test)?

The IAT measures implicit biases by gauging reaction times to categorize words or images linked to social categories.

Define self-regulation and social-regulation. How are they related?

Self-regulation is managing behavior to meet personal goals, while social-regulation is adapting to social cues; they are linked through early social guidance internalized as self-regulation.

What does parental investment theory predict regarding mate preference differences?

It predicts that the sex investing more in offspring, typically females, is choosier in mate selection, favoring quality over quantity.

What are the implications of the mortality salience hypothesis according to Terror Management Theory?

Reminders of death increase defense of one’s beliefs and result in hostility toward outgroups.

What is the relationship between individuating information and stereotypes?

Individuating information helps override stereotypes, while lack of such information increases reliance on stereotypes.

Explain the importance of emotional traits in explanations of behaviors according to Heider's lay scientific theory.

Internal attributions are made for unexpected voluntary actions, while situational causes reduce trait inference.

What does motivated cognition entail compared to dispassionate reasoning?

Motivated cognition is when emotions skew information processing, while dispassionate reasoning is objective evidence-based thinking.

Describe the main idea behind the study by Higgins, Rholes, & Jones regarding priming.

They showed that priming with positive or negative traits affects how people perceive others.

What does the term 'trade-offs' refer to in Life History Theory?

Trade-offs refer to the decisions individuals make in managing their resources and behaviors based on environmental cues.

Describe the findings of the Jones & Harris (1967) study and its relation to Heider's principles.

Participants assumed writers' essays reflected true attitudes even when assigned, showing the fundamental attribution error by overlooking situational constraints.

What finding supports the idea of stereotype accuracy?

Stereotypes can reflect some truth (e.g., gender roles), but they may also be inaccurate or overly simplistic.

How can sociocultural impacts influence behavior according to evolutionary perspective?

Cues from early environments influence current behavior, adapting reproductive strategies to perceived stability or harshness.

What is the main difference between injunctive and descriptive norms?

Injunctive norms tell us what people should do, while descriptive norms describe what people actually do.