4. Nature, Nurture, and Evolution
Evolutionary Theories in Psychology
Learning Objectives
By the end of this section, you will be able to:
- Learn what “evolution” means.
- Define the primary mechanisms by which evolution takes place.
- Identify the two major classes of adaptations.
- Define sexual selection and its two primary processes.
- Define gene selection theory.
- Understand psychological adaptations.
- Identify the core premises of sexual strategies theory.
- Identify the core premises of error management theory, and provide two empirical examples of adaptive cognitive biases.
If you have ever been on a first date, you’re probably familiar with the anxiety of trying to figure out what clothes to wear or what perfume or cologne to put on. In fact, you may even consider flossing your teeth for the first time all year. When considering why you put in all this work, you probably recognize that you’re doing it to impress the other person. But how did you learn these particular behaviours? Where did you get the idea that a first date should be at a nice restaurant or someplace unique? It is possible that we have been taught these behaviours by observing others. It is also possible, however, that these behaviours—the fancy clothes, the expensive restaurant—are biologically programmed into us. That is, just as peacocks display their feathers to show how attractive they are, or some lizards do push-ups to show how strong they are, when we style our hair or bring a gift to a date, we’re trying to communicate to the other person: “Hey, I’m a good mate! Choose me! Choose me!”
However, we all know that our ancestors hundreds of thousands of years ago weren’t driving sports cars or wearing designer clothes to attract mates. So how could someone ever say that such behaviours are “biologically programmed” into us? Well, even though our ancestors might not have been doing these specific actions, these behaviours are the result of the same driving force: the powerful influence of evolution. Yes, evolution—certain traits and behaviours developing over time because they are advantageous to our survival. In the case of dating, doing something like offering a gift might represent more than a nice gesture. Just as chimpanzees will give food to mates to show they can provide for them, when you offer gifts to your dates, you are communicating that you have the money or “resources” to help take care of them. And even though the person receiving the gift may not realize it, the same evolutionary forces are influencing his or her behaviour as well. The receiver of the gift evaluates not only the gift but also the gift-giver’s clothes, physical appearance, and many other qualities, to determine whether the individual is a suitable mate. But because these evolutionary processes are hardwired into us, it is easy to overlook their influence.
To broaden your understanding of evolutionary processes, this module will present some of the most important elements of evolutio