Evolutionary Psychology
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Transcript of Evolutionary Psychology
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Evolutionary Psychology
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Examine one evolutionary explanation of behavior.
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Darwin’s Theory of Evolution
• Based on the assumption that living organisms face environmental challenges.
• Organisms that adapt the best have a greater chance of passing there genes to the next generations.
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Darwin’s Theory of Evolution• Organisms with specific
genetic traits that enhance survival are said to be naturally selected.
• They are more likely to survive and pass those traits on.
• Many of the traits that you have been passed down to you to help you survive.
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Disgust in Pregnant Women• Nausea and loss of
appetite may have been evolved as a way to protect the mother and the fetus against diseases which could threaten the fetus.
• Disgust has evolved as food rejection response to prevent contamination and the spread of illness.
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Fessler et al (2005)Elevated disgust sensitivity in the first trimester or pregnancy
Aim:• To investigate if disgust
sensitivity in the first trimester of pregnancy was elevated as predicted.
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Fessler et al (2005)Elevated disgust sensitivity in the first trimester or pregnancy
Procedure:• A web based survey was
completed by 691 women recruited through pregnancy related web sites.
• No compensation was offered.
• The women’s mean age was 28.1 years.
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Fessler et al (2005)Elevated disgust sensitivity in the first trimester or pregnancy
Procedure:• On the questionnaire the
participants:– Indicated current level of
nausea on a 16 point scale– Answered questions to
discuss their disgust sensitivity in 8 areas (food, contact with animals, dead animals, hygiene, toilets etc..)
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Fessler et al (2005)Elevated disgust sensitivity in the first trimester or pregnancy
Results• Overall, sensitivity for
food and body products was higher in 1st trimester compared to 2nd and 3rd.
• Disgust was highest with food (as was predicted).
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Fessler et al (2005)Elevated disgust sensitivity in the first trimester or pregnancy
Results:• Food-borne diseases are
particularly dangerous for women in the 1st trimester, so it was predicted that the sensitively would be high (they were right).
• The results may indicate that nausea and vomiting are evolved behaviors because they limit the likelihood of a pregnant woman eat dangerous food.
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Fessler et al (2005)Elevated disgust sensitivity in the first trimester or pregnancy
Evaluation:• The data was collected through
questionnaires. Self reports may not be a great way of measuring disgust.
• It would have been better to confront them with real disgust-eliciting objects.
• The effect was big (but not hugely significant).
• Curtiss et al (2004) showed that images that threaten the immune system are judged as more disgusting.