Evolutionary Mechanisms
Briefly outline evolutionary mechanisms. Drawing on the psychological literature from more than one topic area of research, evaluate how well evolutionary theory provides a satisfactory explanation for human behaviour.
The aim of this essay is to assess whether Evolutionary theory presents an adequate explanation for human behaviour. I will be drawing from different psychological literature, especially focusing on the research areas of sexual selection and parental care and investment. Evolutionary theory assumes that every living organism is a commodity of random natural selection and variation and that with each generation, natural selection selects the adaptations that are ideal for sustaining life and reproducing.
Heylighen (2011) defined …show more content…
Despite Evolutionary psychology being a relatively new branch of psychology, it has become increasingly popular over the last decade and a half. Evolutionary mechanisms form an important part of Evolutionary theory’s argument for its explanation of human behaviour as these mechanisms can be explored, studied and tested to provide evidence for its explanations of human behaviour. An evolutionary mechanisms can be described as the processes that determine whether an adaptation occurs to help an organism survive or reproduce (Cosmides & Tooby, 1987)
Examples of evolutionary mechanisms are natural selection, migration, mutation and gene flow. Natural selection is a key mechanism of Evolutionary theory and was originally proposed by Darwin. This mechanism is a slow process of evolution by which biological characteristics in a population become more or less prominent depending on an organisms differential reproduction success at adapting to their environment (Darwin, 1861). For Example Darwin’s finches (Grant et al, 1976) shows how each different finch had passed on an adaptive biological …show more content…
H. (. 1. )., & Wood, W. (. 2. ). (1999). The origins of sex differences in human behavior: Evolved dispositions versus social roles. American Psychologist, 54(6), 408-423.
Grant, P. R., Grant, B. R., Smith, J. N. M., Abbott, I. J., & Abbott, L. K. (1976). Darwin 's finches: Population variation and natural selection. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 73(1), 257-261. doi:10.1073/pnas.73.1.257
Hamilton, W. D. (1964). The genetical evolution of social behaviour I, II. . Journal of Theoretical Biology, 7, 1-52.
Heylighen, F. (2011). Evolutionay psychology ,evolution, complexity and cognition group. In A. Michalos (Ed.), Encyclopedia of quality of Life Research (). Berlin: Springer.
Howard, J. A., Blumstein, P., & Schwartz, P. (1987). Social or evolutionary theories? some observations on preferences in human mate selection. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 53(1), 194-200.
Hume, D. K., & Montgomerie, R. (2001). Facial attractiveness signals different aspects of "quality" in women and men. Evolution and Human Behavior, 22(2), 93-112.
The aim of this essay is to assess whether Evolutionary theory presents an adequate explanation for human behaviour. I will be drawing from different psychological literature, especially focusing on the research areas of sexual selection and parental care and investment. Evolutionary theory assumes that every living organism is a commodity of random natural selection and variation and that with each generation, natural selection selects the adaptations that are ideal for sustaining life and reproducing.
Heylighen (2011) defined …show more content…
Despite Evolutionary psychology being a relatively new branch of psychology, it has become increasingly popular over the last decade and a half. Evolutionary mechanisms form an important part of Evolutionary theory’s argument for its explanation of human behaviour as these mechanisms can be explored, studied and tested to provide evidence for its explanations of human behaviour. An evolutionary mechanisms can be described as the processes that determine whether an adaptation occurs to help an organism survive or reproduce (Cosmides & Tooby, 1987)
Examples of evolutionary mechanisms are natural selection, migration, mutation and gene flow. Natural selection is a key mechanism of Evolutionary theory and was originally proposed by Darwin. This mechanism is a slow process of evolution by which biological characteristics in a population become more or less prominent depending on an organisms differential reproduction success at adapting to their environment (Darwin, 1861). For Example Darwin’s finches (Grant et al, 1976) shows how each different finch had passed on an adaptive biological …show more content…
H. (. 1. )., & Wood, W. (. 2. ). (1999). The origins of sex differences in human behavior: Evolved dispositions versus social roles. American Psychologist, 54(6), 408-423.
Grant, P. R., Grant, B. R., Smith, J. N. M., Abbott, I. J., & Abbott, L. K. (1976). Darwin 's finches: Population variation and natural selection. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 73(1), 257-261. doi:10.1073/pnas.73.1.257
Hamilton, W. D. (1964). The genetical evolution of social behaviour I, II. . Journal of Theoretical Biology, 7, 1-52.
Heylighen, F. (2011). Evolutionay psychology ,evolution, complexity and cognition group. In A. Michalos (Ed.), Encyclopedia of quality of Life Research (). Berlin: Springer.
Howard, J. A., Blumstein, P., & Schwartz, P. (1987). Social or evolutionary theories? some observations on preferences in human mate selection. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 53(1), 194-200.
Hume, D. K., & Montgomerie, R. (2001). Facial attractiveness signals different aspects of "quality" in women and men. Evolution and Human Behavior, 22(2), 93-112.