BLOA Review, ERQ Exam

Evolutionary theory

Theory arguing that the environment presents a challenge to each organism -- those who adapt best = more likely to survive, thrive, and breed - and thus pass on their genes

Adaptation

Traits that improve an individual's ability to survive and reproduce

Genetic mutation

First necessary mechanism in evolution -- alterations in an organism's DNA structure; totally random

Natural selection

Second necessary mechanism in evolution -- a random mutation either helps the organism survive, or it hinders it -- if it helps, then the environment "selects" that trait as a favorable one -- the organism will live, breed, and pass on that gene to the population

Ad hoc reasoning

Taking an observable phenomenon and creating an unverifiable story for how it developed -- a means of critiquing evolutionary psychology and how it explains behavior

Confirmation bias

Tendency to search for information that supports our preconceptions and to ignore or distort contradictory evidence -- means of critiquing evolutionary psychology and how it explains behavior

Curtis, et al (2004)

Aimed to determine the effect of natural selection on the disgust response -- participants from 165 countries shown 20 images and asked to rank them in their level of disgust, in an online survey -- 7 pictures were given in pairs, in which one was potentially harmful to the immune system and the other was not -- found that disgust response was highest towards things that are ACTUALLY a danger to immune system -- also found that disgust responses were higher amongst the young -- and higher amongst women -- concluded that disgust is an evolved behavior related to reproduction, to help protect fetus in situations where mother encounters/eats something poisonous

Fessler, et al (2005)

Aimed to see how women's bodies react to the changes in their immune system caused by pregnancy -- web survey given to pregnant women -- asked to rate current nausea levels, and also "disgust sensitivity" in eight areas (e.g., food, body products, etc.) -- found that disgust sensitivity highest in relation to FOOD, and highest in FIRST trimester, early in pregnancy -- concluded that this shows an evolved behavior, where nausea/vomiting evolved to protect fetus when mother eats poisonous food

Pheromone

A chemical released by one animal that affects the behavior of another animal of the same species

Releaser pheromones

Chemicals that cause immediate and specific behavioral changes, particularly in sex/mating behavior

Androstadienone (AND)

a derivative of testosterone and one of the chemical components of sweat; considered by some to be a pheromone

Estratetraenol (EST)

A chemical found in women (female urine) that is considered by some to be a human pheromone

Zhou, et al (2014)

Sample of straight men and women, as well as gay men and lesbians, exposed to cloves scent and asked to guess the gender of a walking stick figure on a screen - one experimental condition exposed to AND, and another to EST -- results showed straight men/lesbians were more likely to say stick figure was "feminine" when exposed to EST (compared to control), and straight women/gay men more likely to say "masculine" (compared to control) -- shows the potential of AND and EST as human pheromones

McCoy & Pitino (2002)

36 regularly menstruating women studied -- experimental condition had a synthetic "pheromone" put into their perfume, control had a placebo placed in perfume -- then, seven sociosexual behaviors measured once a week over the course of three menstrual cycles (roughly three months) -- experimental group showed significant increased in several of the measured behaviors, though not in all -- shows possibility of the reality of human pheromones

hormones

Chemical messengers manufactured by endocrine glands, which travel through the bloodstream and affect the body's organs and tissues

target cells

Cells that have receptors for a particular hormone -- hormones will either increase or decrease the target cell's function

Oxytocin

Hormone secreted by the hypothalamus in the brain, associated with bonding of mother and child. Stimulated by touch & hugs; the "trust hormone."

Baumgartner, et al (2008)

Investigated the role of oxytocin after breaches of trust in a trust game -- participants placed in fMRI scanner, then given either a placebo or oxytocin nasal spray -- then, played a "trust game" against a computer, where he/she decides whether to share money with another, who sometimes shared back later, sometimes did not -- those taking oxytocin continued to trust, and to share again in the future, at higher rates than placebo group -- also, oxytocin group showed decreased responses in amygdala (known to be associated with fear and anger) -- concluded that oxytocin plays a key role in human trust

De Dreu, et al (2011)

Investigated role of oxytocin in human ethnocentrism -- experimental group given oxytocin nasal spray, control group, a placebo -- both groups exposed to images of an in-group and an out-group -- then, asked to respond to the train-based "moral dilemma" situation, whether to sacrifice one person by pushing them onto train track to save five others -- when asked to sacrifice an OUT-group person, same results in both conditions -- when asked to sacrifice an IN-group person, lower results in oxytocin group -- concluded that oxytocin is involved in liking/favoring one's own group