Psychology 452  Evolutionary Psychology

Fall, 2009

Instructor: Michael E. Mills, Ph.D.
Office: University Hall,  Room 4757
Office hours: Tuesday: 12:30 - 2:00,  Wednesday: 10:00 – 4:15
 Phone: (310) 338-3017

Email: memills@gmail.com     Note: Please put “LMU” in your subject heading if you email me, otherwise I may think it is junk mail and delete it.

Class website:  http://www.DrMillsLMU.com
Class wikis:  http://drmillslmu.wikispaces.com/    http://drmills.wiki-site.com


This course presents an exploration of human nature and human psychology from an evolutionary perspective.  Our focus in this course will be human nature – the set of psychological emotional, behavioral, cognitive and sexual adaptations that characterize humans a species.

Evolutionary psychology is a very new discipline--in title alone it is perhaps only about 30 years old. What we will be studying is thus on the very "cutting edge" of the thinking in this field. Most of the ideas of evolutionary psychology have not yet migrated to the larger discipline of psychology, and it will take much longer until these concepts become integrated into the larger popular culture.

Evolutionary psychology sounds as if it were merely another branch of traditional normative psychology.  This is not the case.  Evolutionary psychology is not a sub-discipline within the field of psychology, like developmental or clinical psychology, but rather an approach that can be applied in throughout psychology and, for that matter, in other disciplines like anthropology, economics and political science.  In biology, evolutionary theory serves as the foundational meta-theory for the entire discipline.  Without it, biology wouldn't make much sense.  Evolutionary psychology seeks to apply the same adaptationist approach as a foundation for the discipline of psychology.

Our most general question will be this: What is "human nature," and how did it evolve? To answer this question, we will ask: What features characterized both the physical and the social environment of our ancestors? What survival, social and reproductive problems did our ancestors face in that environment? What genetically predisposed psychological adaptations evolved as a consequent? And, more generally, how do humans differ from other organisms in their strategies to survive and reproduce? Specifically, we will apply an evolutionary analysis to attempt to develop a deeper understanding of:

·         The Human Ancestral Environment: the problems of the physical and social environment to which our ancestors evolved psychological adaptations -- also called the “environment of evolutionary adaptation” (or EEA).

·         Individual Psychological Adaptations: adaptations related to primarily to individual survival (perception, motivation/emotion, overt behavior, cognition, and language) ,

·         Sexually Dimorphic Adaptations:  adaptations primarily related to increasing one’s reproductive success (sexual attraction, inter- and intra-sexual competition for mates, courtship, mate selection, marriage and divorce, the “battle of the sexes”)

·         Family and Kin Related Adaptations: adaptations related to interacting with those with whom we share our genes.  Topics: inclusive fitness maximization, including parental investment and kin altruism, sibling rivalry, fetal-mother conflict and cooperation, etc.

·         Non-kin / Group Related Adaptations:  adaptations related to non-kin, including reciprocity and revenge, cheating and cheater detection, in vs. out groups, social status, intergroup conflict including warfare, etc.

·         Memetic Adaptations / Culture: adaptations related to meme propagation, including imitation, cultural transmission, the means by which memes are accepted or rejected, gene-meme co-evolution, etc.

In general, we are attempting to identify human nature, or “human universals” -- the set of evolved psychological adaptations of the human species.

Some class assignments, lectures, and tests may be online.  You will need access to a computer with an internet connection to perform some of the assignments in this class.

Course Objectives / Student Learning Outcomes

 

Students will be able to describe the processes of both natural and sexual selection,  differentiate between ultimate and proximate levels of analysis, differentiate between psychological adaptations, exaptations, adaptive byproducts, and traits that are "random noise,"  be able to identify research methods to help to empirically differentiate adaptations from non-adaptations, explain how Hamilton's and Trivers' theories of altruism operate, explain "human nature" in terms of evolved psychological adaptations at the levels of the individual, mating dyad, family, group and larger culture, give examples of how such adaptations may manifest differently in different cultures, identify how memes spread and evolve.

 

Course Content and Informed Consent

 

Before you take this course, you should be aware that some of the content will cover controversial and personal topics, including evolutionary theory, sex differences, sexuality, and issues of ethics and morality.  For example, if the theory of evolution conflicts with your religious beliefs you may feel uncomfortable with some of the lectures that will be presented. (However, most Catholic and non-fundamentalist Christian theologians find no incompatibility with evolutionary theory and their religious faith.)  In addition, we will be covering aspects of human or animal behavior, including sexuality, that are not often discussed openly and honestly in polite, or mixed, company.   As such, there will be material discussed --  explicitly --  that could be, in principle, offensive to individuals with particular beliefs or attitudes. If this is a potential problem for you, then please contact me as soon as possible for clarification of the issues, terms, and materials that will be part of the class.

 

 

TESTS / QUIZZES

There will be two midterms and a final exam. The midterms and final will be given online via Blackboard.

Quizzes.  Starting with the 3rd week of class, you will be given a brief quiz at the beginning of class every week (however, no quiz will be given on those weeks in which a midterm is scheduled).  The material covered on the quizzes will be from the previous week’s readings and lectures.     If the class meets twice a week, the quiz will be given on the Tuesday class.  The quiz will be given immediately at the start of the class.  There will be no make-up quizzes.   At the end of the semester, your lowest quiz score will be dropped.   (Hint:  Keep up with the weekly class readings!)

Examinations will include objective (T/F, multiple choice), and perhaps a few short answer and/or brief essay questions. Tests are not cumulative, except that on the final exam about 25% of the questions will cover the most important material from the first 2/3rds of the course.  No study guides will be provided – you are responsible for all of the material presented in class and in the readings.  

IMPORTANT: There will be no make up exams for missed tests without a note from your doctor.

 


Individual Term project (worth up to 25  points):

 

This will involve contributing to the course wiki.  More information about this project will be presented in class, as well as on the class web site.

 

 

 

Group term project:  Seminar panels (worth up to 25 points).

 

A handout will be given to you describing how to complete this project, and will be available on the class web site.   This will involve researching a topic, giving a class presentation, and contributing to the class wiki as well as to open internet wikis, such as Wikipedia, Scholarpedia, and/or Citizendium.   

 

HOMEWORK

You will be given homework assignments. The point value of each will be specified.

EMAIL COMMUNICATIONS

Important class announcements will be provided via email.  By default, I will use your LMU email address. However, if you prefer email to go to a different email provider (e.g., GMail, YahooMail, etc.), email me with that email address. If you do not receive my emails, or should you change your email address, please contact me.

CLASSROOM CONDUCT

Please turn off beepers and cell phones before coming to class.   Regular attendance is and class participation is expected.  

If you bring a laptop to class please use it only to take class notes.  Please do not surf the web, IM, or email during class -- it is distracting both to you and your classmates.   (If this becomes a problem, I may prohibit laptop use during class.)

GRADING POLICIES

Throughout the course you will be awarded points for tests, quizzes, and homework assignments.  All points, whether from a test, a homework assignment, panel presentation, etc., are all given equal weight when summed. At any time during the course, your grade will be determined by total points you have accumulated up to that point.

 

Your grade in the class will be determined by your "content mastery grade." This grade is based on your percentage correct score.  However, the "maximum possible score" will be re-set to half way between the maximum points possible and highest point total actually obtained by the top scoring person in the class.  This is to your advantage, and it helps to adjust the grades based on the relative ease or difficulty of the tests. 

Grade Cutoffs Table (Percentage scores, again, where the maximum possible is re-set to half way between the maximum points possible and highest point total actually obtained by the top scoring person in the class):

 

A >= 93% of top score in class

 A- = 90 - 92

 

B+ = 87 - 89

B = 83 - 86

B- = 80 - 82

C+ = 77 - 79

C = 73 - 76

C- = 70 - 72

D+ = 67 - 69

D = 63 - 66

D- = 60 - 62

F+ = 57 - 59

F < 57

 

 

For example, if the maximum points possible on a test was 110, but the top score in the class was 100, 105 would be used as the basis for comparison of your score in the table above.

 

At any time during the course you can check your point total on Blackboard.  If you would like to know what the overall class point total is a particular point in the class, email me and I will get it for you.  You can then calculate your grade based on the above table.  I will also announce the class point total after midterms.

 

The week before the final exam, your lowest quiz score will be dropped, and the all points for tests, quizzes, homework, etc., will be summed.  Grades going into the final exam will be calculated and reported according to the grading system noted above.

At that time, if you have any questions regarding your grade, or if you would like to review your accumulated points (from homework, tests, panel presentations, etc.), please stop by my office during office hours to review the class roster (you must do so before the end of the class – point changes cannot be made after the course has ended).

 

 


 

REQUIRED TEXTS

Note: If the bookstore doesn’t have a book in stock you might consider purchasing it new (or used) via Amazon.com (click the link for each book), or via another online bookseller.

Buss, D. M. (2007).  Evolutionary Psychology: The New Science of the Mind(3rd Ed.).  Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

Dawkins, R. (1989). The Selfish Gene. (2nd Ed.) New York: Oxford University Press. (Paperback)

Pinker, S. R. (2002). The Blank SlateNew York: Viking.

 

RELEVANT WEBSITES

Human Behavior and Evolution Society (www.hbes.com).   See in particular, the “Links” and “Books” sections of the website.


 

 

TENTATIVE COURSE SCHEDULE

GENERAL COURSE OUTLINE, CLASS SCHEDULE,  AND CLASS READINGS

TOPIC 1. OVERVIEW: WHAT IS EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGY?


WEEK 1. Monday date: 8/31


Class readings: Buss, Chapter 1.  Pinker: Part 1 Intro, Chapters, 1 and 2.
 In class video: The Human Quest  

Relevant websites:

·         Human Behavior and Evolution Society (HBES):  www.hbes.com

·         Steven Pinker video discussing his book “The Blank Slate
http://web.mit.edu/mitworld/content/authors/pinker.html

 

TOPIC 2. UNDERSTANDING EVOLUTION / THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS OF EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGY / NATURE-NURTURE INTERACTIONISM

WEEK 2.   Monday date: 9/7


Class readings: Dawkins, Chaps 1 – 5;   Buss, Chapter 2.

Also read  Evolutionary Psychology: A Primer at:  http://www.psych.ucsb.edu/research/cep/primer.html

Relevant websites: 

·         Replicators: Evolutionary Powerhouses  (http://library.thinkquest.org/C004367/home.shtml)  a website specifically designed to explore Dawkins' concept of replicators in an interesting and interactive format.

·         Morph Lab: (http://alife.fusebox.com/morph_lab.html ) Artificial selection in action.  Select biomorphs.  Requires a Java-capable web browser.

·         Evolutionary Psychology FAQ:
http://www.anth.ucsb.edu/projects/human/evpsychfaq.htm

·         BBC “Gene Stories”:  http://www.bbc.co.uk/genes/

·         Twins separated at birth reunite (includes video clip)
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/11/04/48hours/main581771.shtml

WEEK 3.  Monday date: 9/14

Class readings: Buss, Chapter 3.

TOPIC 3. HUMAN BIOLOGY, HIERARCHICAL LEVELS OF CAUSATION, AND THE HUMAN ANCESTRAL ENVIRONMENT,

WEEK 4.  Monday date: 9/21

Class readings: Pinker, Chapters 3 – 5.

MIDTERM next week. 

Relevant websites: 

·         Human Genetics for the Social Sciences Interactive Learning Exercises (http://psych.colorado.edu/hgss/hgssapplets/hgssapplets.htm)  Several interesting behavioral genetics tutorials and simulations.

·         Becoming Human (includes video clips):
http://www.becominghuman.org/

·         The Antiquity of Man: http://www.antiquityofman.com

In class video: The Yanomamo.

 

PANEL PRESENTATIONS


TOPIC 4. THE INDIVIDUAL: Perception, Emotion, Behavior, Cognition & Personality, Language, Consciousness

WEEK 5: Monday Date: 9/28

MIDTERM 1

Topics: Consciousness / Perception
Class readings:   Gaulin & McBurney, Chapters 4 and 5 (available via Blackboard)

Web Resources:

·         Change Blindness demo:
http://nivea.psycho.univ-paris5.fr/ASSChtml/ASSC.html

·         Several perceptual illusions demos:
http://www.purveslab.net/

·         Audio illusion of continuous rising tone:
http://www.exploratorium.edu/exhibits/highest_note/fr.continuous.html

·         Muller-Lyer illusion:  http://epsych.msstate.edu/descriptive/Vision/muller_ly/

·         Pogendorf illusion: http://epsych.msstate.edu/descriptive/Vision/Poggendorf/

·         Internet Psych Lab: Visual Perception. Muller-Lyer illusion:  http://epsych.msstate.edu/descriptive/Vision/muller_ly/

·         Pogendorf illusion: http://epsych.msstate.edu/descriptive/Vision/Poggendorf/

·         Stroop Illusion:  http://epsych.msstate.edu/deliberate/Stroop/index.html

·         Necker Cube Illusion: http://dogfeathers.com/java/necker.html

·         Internet Psych Lab: Auditory Perception http://www.ipsych.com/aud/level_2_aud.html

·         Sensation and Perception Tutorials:  http://psych.hanover.edu/Krantz/sen_tut.html

·         The Biology of Mind - Origins and Structures of Mind, Brain, and Consciousness:  http://dericbownds.net/

·         Sensation and Perception info and demos:
http://alpha.furman.edu/~einstein/general/

·         Split Brain Consciousness:
http://www.macalester.edu/~psych/whathap/UBNRP/Split_Brain/Split_Brain_Consciousness.html

·         Psychology Links: Sensation, Perception and Consciousness:
http://www.tamiu.edu/coah/psy/senpercon.htm

 

PANEL PRESENTATIONS

WEEK 6: Monday date: 10/5

Topic:  Emotion & Motivation
Class readings:   TBA

Web Resources:

·         Test your disgust sensitivity: http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/tv/humaninstinct/NEED TO FIND RELEVANT VIDEOS

PANEL PRESENTATIONS  

WEEK 7: Monday date: 10/12

Topic:  Learning and Cognition
Class readings:  Gaulin & McBurney, Chapter 7 (available via Blackboard)

Web Resources:

·         Internet Psych Lab:  Memory and Learning  http://www.ipsych.com/mem/level_2_mem.html

·         Internet Psych Lab:  Cognition http://www.ipsych.com/cog/level_2_cog.html

·         Cognitive Psychology Tutor:  http://teach.psy.uga.edu/CogPsychTutor/http://teach.psy.uga.edu/CogPsychTutor/

·         Evolution of Optimism:
http://www.dylan.org.uk/OptimismAISB.html

PANEL PRESENTATIONS


WEEK 8: Monday date: 10/19

Topic:  Personality and Language  
Class readings:  Gaulin & McBurney, Chapter 9 and 11 (available via Blackboard)

 

Web resources:

·         Steven Pinker lecture: Words and Rules  http://mitworld.mit.edu/video/143/

PANEL PRESENTATIONS

 

TOPIC 5. THE SEXES

WEEK 9: Monday date 10/26

Midterm next week.

Class Readings:  Mills, chapter 9.  Dawkins: chapter on the “Battle of the Sexes


In class video:  Margaret Mead and Samoa

 

Relevant websites: 

·         Faceprints: http://www-psych.nmsu.edu/~vic/faceprints/

·         Interactive Lonely Hearts ad:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/tv/humaninstinct/

·         Darwinian aesthetics:
http://evolution.anthro.univie.ac.at/institutes/urbanethology/beautypro.html

·         Do you have a male or female brain?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/life/news/page/0,12983,937443,00.html

·         Calculate your Waist to Hip Ratio:
http://www.healthstatus.com/calculate/whr

·         The Brain Game (video / quizzes / articles):
http://abcnews.go.com/onair/DailyNews/braingame020731.html

·         Face Perception:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/tv/humaninstinct/

·         Article on male feminized vs. masculinized faces:
http://fig.cox.miami.edu/~bhoward/bil150/Man_woman.html

·         PBS website on the evolution of sex:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/sex/love/

PANEL PRESENTATIONS

 

WEEK 10: Monday date 11/2

MIDTERM 2

Class Readings: Mills, chapter 10 & 11.

PANEL PRESENTATIONS

 

TOPIC 6. THE FAMILY & KINSHIP

WEEK 11: Monday date 11/9

Class Readings:  Buss, Chap 7 – 8.   Dawkins, Chaps 6 & 7

Relevant websites:

·         Facial resemblance enhances trust:
http://psych.mcmaster.ca/debruine/fret.htmlNEED TO FIND RELEVANT VIDEOS

·         Future genetic engineering of our children (article):
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/bodyuncovered/story/0,13992,1067850,00.html


PANEL PRESENTATION 

TOPIC 7. THE GROUP / SOCIALITY

WEEK 12: Monday date: 11/16

Class readings:   Dawkins, Chap 10;  Pinker, Chaps 16 – 17.

Relevant websites:

·         Interactive Prisoner’s Dilemma Game: http://www.iterated-prisoners-dilemma.net/

·         Another interactive Prisoner’s Dilemma Game:
http://-.brynmawr.edu/playground/pd.html

·         Another:
http://www.princeton.edu/~mdaniels/PD/PD.html

·         Computer simulation of biological evolution in structured populations
http://www.agner.org/evolution/?e=0#0

·         Society for Chaos Theory in Psychology and the Life Sciences:
http://www.societyforchaostheory.org/

Evolutionary Psychology of Gossip (Slate magazine article):


PANEL PRESENTATIONS

 

WEEK 13: Monday date: 11/23

 
Class readings: Buss, Chap 12,  Dawkins, Chaps 12

PANEL PRESENTATIONS


TOPIC 8. CULTURE / MEMETICS

WEEK 14: Monday date: 11/30

Class readings: Dawkins, Chap 11.  Pinker, Chap 20. 

Relevant websites:

·         Robot Independence (PBS video clip – click “Watch Online” at top)
http://www.pbs.org/saf/1103/segments/1103-3.htm

·         Article on conscious robots:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,3604,1028776,00.html

·         Morals: Are you a model citizen, or do you look after number one?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/tv/humaninstinct/

·         UK Memes Central:
http://www.susanblackmore.co.uk/memetics/index.htm

·         Memetics:
http://www.aleph.se/Trans/Cultural/Memetics/

·         Memes (info / links):
http://cscs.umich.edu/~crshalizi/formerly-hyper-weird/memetics.html

·         Alt.memetics (info / links)
 http://maxwell.lucifer.com/virus/alt.memetics/

·         Journal of Memetics:
http://jom-emit.cfpm.org/

·         The Hedonistic Imperative (genetic engineering and nanotech):
http://www.hedweb.com/welcome.htm

·         Naturalmotion.com  (computer learning to walk):
http://www.naturalmotion.com/pages/technology_hiw.htm

·         The Law of Accelerating Returns, buy Ray Kurzweil:
http://www.kurzweilai.net/articles/art0134.html?printable=1

·         Why the future doesn’t need us., by Bill Joy http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/8.04/joy.html

PANEL PRESENTATIONS

 

TOPIC 9. ETHICS / THE FUTURE OF EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGY

WEEK 15: Monday date   12/7

Class readings:  Buss, Chapter 13.


Web Resources:  The future doesn’t need us.  http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/8.04/joy.html

PANEL PRESENTATIONSPANEL PRESENTATION  Topic: Pinker, Chapter 15 and  Part VI – The Voice of the Species

PANEL PRESENTATION  Topic:  Evolutionary Ethics  or The Future of Evolutionary Psychology