Download Evolution, Emotion, and Reason

Lesson 6
Evolution, Emotion, and Reason
Introduction: Connecting Your Learning
Lesson 6 introduces you to the genetics of human psychology, reasoning, and emotions. You will begin with a
lecture by Dr. Peter Salovey on the topic of love, a human emotion. You will complete the discussion of
emotions in Lesson 7.
Two of the fastest growing and most important areas in all of science today are genetic biology and the study of
the brain. The understanding of human nature is increasing by leaps and bounds as the workings of the gene
and the human brain are steadily unraveled.
As you read, consider how genetics contributes to human variability, similarities, and survival. Genetics and
inheritance are only part of the story – the environment, learning, and social-cultural factors always play a role
in determining human psychology. This interaction between nurture and nature is a common theme throughout
the course.
In this lesson, you will look at the higher forms of cognition, analogy, and inductive reasoning. These higher
forms of cognition are influenced by perception, learning and memory, which reciprocally influence perception,
learning, and memory. Each set of processes affects the other set of processes.
You are living in the beginning of the "Information Age." The cognitive abilities to synthesize, organize, and
use information are becoming more important with each passing day. Given the vast amount of information
coming at you, it is vitally important to think rationally and critically about the wealth of data and ideas
presented. You live in a world where the ability to use your mind is critical. Studying the higher cognitive
abilities will lead you to a better understanding of your thinking and creative powers, their weaknesses and
strengths, and how they can be enhanced.
Lectures and Readings
Yale Open Source Video: Evolution, Emotion, and
Reason: Love – Guest Lecturer Dr. Peter Solvey
Media
Lecture
Yale Open Source Video: Evolution, Emotion, and
Reason: Evolution and Rationality
Textbook
Readings
Chapter 3 – "Genetic and Evolutionary Foundations of
Behavior" (pp. 63-70)
Chapter 10 – "Reasoning and Intelligence" (pp. 351-359)
Focusing Your Learning
Course Competencies covered in this lesson:

Explain evolution by natural selection.

Define analogy and inductive reasoning, and describe the concepts

Explain the role of evolution in reasoning.
Lesson Objectives
By the end of this lesson, you should be able to:
1. Explain “The Big Three” components of love.
2. Explain Darwin’s theory of natural selection.
3. Discuss challenges of evolution explanations in psychology.
4. Describe the differences between inductive reasoning and analogy.
5. Describe the types of bias that can influence reasoning and the barriers to rational reasoning.
Approaching the Objectives
Emotion
In his video lecture, Dr. Peter Salovey presents Professor Robert Sternberg's theory on the three components of
love: intimacy, passion, and commitment.
Components of
Definition
Love
Intimacy
Feelings of closeness and connectedness with
someone.
Passion
Drive, physical attraction, or sex.
Commitment
Willingness to maintain the relationship for a period
of time.
Salovey categorizes relationships based on the number of components present: zero, one, two, or three.
Components
Relationship
Description
Zero
Non-love
No relationship
Intimacy only
Liking
Friendship
Passion only
Infatuation
Sexual arousal
Compassion only
Empty love
Final stage of long-term
relationship
Intimacy + passion
Romantic love
Beginning of many
relationships
Intimacy + compassion
Companionate
love
Best friend
Passion + commitment
Fatuous love
Whirlwind courtship
Intimacy + passion +
compassion
Consummate
love
Connectedness, sexual
arousal, long-term
Social psychologists do not study love, per se, but attraction. According to Salovey, love does not "just
happen." In addition to the three components of love, four other variables must be present: proximity,
similarity, familiarity, and competence.
Experiments on attraction provide insight into physiology, perception, genetics, evolution, cognition, emotions,
and sociocultural dynamics.
Consider this!
View Love in Slow Motion
As a social psychologist, explain how the theories of love and attraction are exhibited. Include any
two concepts in the lesson, such as mechanics of the brain, perception, emotions, learning,
cognition, or sensations.
Evolution
Chapter 3 discusses evolution by natural selection, the concept labeled by Charles Darwin that explains the
breeding processes that evolved to maintain the species. Although Bloom identifies issues relevant to the
debate between evolution and creationism, the focus is on evolutionary psychology and the concept of natural
selection.
Environmental changes spur internal and external adjustments as humans and non-humans seek to adapt,
reproduce, and survive. Theories on evolution and natural selection provide some explanations of human and
non-human similarities and variations, genes and inheritability, and behavior and mental states. Researchers or
scientists seeking to explain what the behavior accomplishes for the individual or non-human are functionalists.
Gray presents three misconceptions of evolution, primarily that evolution has no foresight or predetermined
end. Basically, behaviors are productions of natural selection. Stating that all behaviors fit neatly into the realm
of functionalism is too simplistic. Some traits are products of side effects, chance, or vestigial characteristics.
Other mechanisms that were once useful have taken on harmful manifestations.
Bloom discusses causations, adaptations, misconceptions, human preoccupations, and reasons to reject
evolutionary psychology. Primarily, Bloom describes how the mind has evolved and the evolutionary processes
which contribute to human differences. Also, evolution proposes that some mental processes are innate.
Natural selection will be explored further in Lesson 7 as the evolution of emotions and species-typical behaviors
are examined.
Consider this!
Imagine yourself as an evolutionary psychologist. Consider how you or your family members could
benefit from advances being made in understanding heredity processes, genes, and natural
selection.
Bloom concludes his lecture by discussing human intellect as a function of evolution. Studies by psychologists
Danny Kahneman and Amos Tversky demonstrate that humans and some non-humans possess heuristics or
problem solving techniques. However, as intellectual beings with the capability to reason, humans are not
always logical, rational thinkers. Bloom provides examples of four real-world heuristics that aided evolutionary
history but that may present challenges to your decision-making abilities: framing effect, endowment effect,
availability bias, and confirmation bias.
Framing effect
The answers will differ depending on how the questions are framed.
Endowment effect Losses can gain value.
Availability bias
Overestimation can happen when information is readily available.
Confirmation bias
Seek to confirm a hypothesis rather than alternative solutions.
Reason
Read Gray's discussion on analogies and inductive reasoning in Chapter 10. The higher forms of cognition are
amazing human abilities. Your abilities to think, to reason, to problem solve, to imagine and create, and to
communicate via language are the building blocks of human civilization and culture. These human attributes
make humans special in the world of nature. Humans may not be the strongest or the swiftest animal, but they
can create music, build computers, write books, invent scientific theories, and gain a glimmering of the
universal scheme of things due to these abilities.
Studying the higher forms of cognition clearly takes you into the deepest mysteries of the human mind. What is
the mind? How are humans able to be so creative and inventive at times? What is the relationship between the
mind and the brain? What is the relationship of mind and consciousness? These questions and related ones are
issues also addressed in philosophy, and after taking this course, you might want to continue your study of
cognition, knowledge, and the mind by taking a course in philosophy.
Psychology attempts to scientifically understand the capacity for thought and the abilities to reason, problem
solve, and create. As you will see, however, humans do not consistently demonstrate thoughtful and rational
reasoning. Humans demonstrate various types of bias in their thinking. Thinking is a skill that evolves with
maturity and age and can be self-consciously improved. Consider the various barriers or hindrances to rational
thought described in the lecture and text.
Consider this!
Explain how your understanding of reasoning might be used to improve your thinking processes.
Bloom refers to Steven Pinker's article "How the Mind Works" in The Norton Psychology Reader. Pinker's article
is not a required reading in this course. However, you can access Pinker's work through narration found on
YouTube.
Summarizing Your Learning
To summarize your learning for this lesson, go over any notes that you collected while you viewed the video
lecture and review your responses to the "Consider this!" prompts within the lesson.