PSYCH 230 Human Sociobiology Discussion Notes

Definition: The scientific study of the factors driving the evolution of social behavior, incorporating psychology, evolutionary biology, anthropology, and genetics.
Examples of Adaptive, Evolved Traits:
- Physical Traits:
  - Bipedalism in the primate lineage
  - Thick fur in animals in cold environments
- Social Behaviors:
  - Protective behavior of mothers towards their offspring
  - Altruism: food sharing among chimpanzees
  - Infanticide: killing of infants by newly dominant males
  - Aggression: competition for mates and resources

Basic emotions and their facial expressions are universal among humans, but biases exist based on familiarity with groups.
Evolutionary Conservation of Facial Expressions: Helps convey important information
- Examples:
  - Bitter tastes/bad smells can trigger disgust to avoid harmful materials
  - Facial expressions signify threats or safety cues

Key Work: Sociobiology: The New Synthesis (1975)
- Promoted analyzing social behaviors (like altruism and aggression) through an evolutionary lens, indicating behaviors maximize reproductive fitness.
- Human chapters sparked controversy regarding whether social behaviors can be encoded genetically.

Definition: Studies how natural selection has influenced human psychological traits.
Focus Areas:
- Fitness, reproductive success, adaptability of emotional, motivational, cognitive functions observed today
Maladaptive Behaviors: Some evolved traits, like cravings for high sugar and fat foods, were useful for survival but problematic in modern abundance.
Caution in Interpretation: Plausible evolutionary theories should not justify contemporary social norms or behaviors.

Social and cultural influences affect behavior, but biology remains significant.
Example: Phineas Gage's frontal lobe damage led to socially inappropriate behavior, supporting the biological basis for regulatory capacities.
Nurture can flexibly adjust gene expression.

The human mind and animal behavior shaped by natural selection
Heuristics (strategies) used by the mind to solve ancestral problems effectively
Presence of a shared, relatively universal core human nature

The Cinderella Effect: Favoritism for genetically related offspring; higher mistreatment incidence by stepparents.
Oxytocin and Social Trust:
- Oxytocin increases trust in social contexts (higher betting in trust games).

Wason Task & Cheater Detection:
- Puzzles in social contexts are easier due to evolutionarily relevant heuristics.
Wason Tasks Summary:
- Tasks are logically identical but perceived difficulty varies; superior performance in social contexts may evolve a specialized cheater detection module, beneficial in reciprocal interactions.

Mindfulness in Nature:
- Nature walks enhance creativity, reduce cortisol, promote relaxation, and lower heart rate compared to urban walks.
Facial Symmetry: Considered attractive across cultures.

Definition: Inferring that traits observed in nature must be “good” or “natural”; a moral judgement lacking relevance to morality.
Sociobiology aims to understand evolutionary origins, not to justify behaviors.
Examples:
- Distrust of unfamiliar people may have been beneficial in ancestral food competition contexts but doesn’t justify racial biases today.

Definition: Claims behaviors stem purely from biological origins, ignoring environmental factors.
Objections: Disregards social/cultural influences, over-emphasizes genetics.
Responses:
- Scientists recognize gene-environment interactions for complex traits; gene expression fluctuates throughout life.

Sociobiology: Examines biological bases for behaviors.
Tenets of Sociobiology:
- Tenet 1: Behavior shaped by evolution.
- Tenet 2: Human mind uses contextual strategies.
- Tenet 3: Shared human behaviors exist universally.
Criticisms:
- Naturalistic fallacy: Not all traits/behaviors are inherently good.
- Biological determinism: Our behaviors are influenced by societal factors as well.