Download Sociobiology & Evolutionary Psychology

Sociobiology &
Evolutionary Psychology
Sociobiology
Sociobiology was founded by E.O. Wilson
(1929 - ) in his book: Sociobiology: The
New Synthesis (1975)
Sociobiology
According to Wilson, Sociobiology is the
“scientific study of the biological basis of all
social behaviour” (Wilson, 1975).
Sociobiology
Thus Sociobiology assumes that social
behaviour (including human social
behaviour) is based on biology and genetics.
By favouring certain genes controlling
behaviour and eliminating others, evolution
by natural selection has created human
social behaviour that we see in all cultures.
Sociobiology
This means that many of the behaviors we
believed were a result of the influence of
parents, peers, society, etc… (the social
environment), Wilson claims may really be
the product of biology.
Nature
Nurture
Sociobiology is definitely on
the nature side of the naturenurture continuum.
Sociobiology
• By “social behavior” is meant many of the
key behaviours dealing with an organism’s
interaction with other members of its social
group.
• This includes behaviours like:
Aggression
Sexual
behaviour
Intelligence
Altruism
Personality
types
Even religious
belief
Sociobiology
• By “biological basis,” Wilson is saying that
these behaviours are caused by genes.
• This is somewhat like saying that many
behaviours are “instinctual” rather than
learned.
• For example, the sex instinct is really the
same as saying there are genes that make
us like sex (as well as genes that have
created the appropriate body parts for it).
Sociobiology
For Wilson, some genes are like biological
programs (biograms) that are “executed”
when provided with the right trigger (stimuli).
Sociobiology
• Wilson began
as an
entymologist –
a scientist who
studies insects.
• Specifically, he
studied the
social insects
(ants, termites
and bees),
especially ants.
Sociobiology
Partly because of controversy, sociobiology
became less fashionable in the 1980s.
However, a very similar “science” (?)
developed in the 1980s called…
Evolutionary Psychology (ep)
Evolutionary Psychology (ep)
One key name in
evolutionary
psychology (ep) is
Richard Dawkins
Evolutionary Psychology
Dawkins’ book, The
Selfish Gene (1976)
made quite a splash.
In it, Dawkins argues that
we are all just
temporary, mortal
“lumbering robots” or
“survival machines”
built by genes for their
own protection and
reproduction.
Evolutionary Psychology
After all, we are all products of our parents’ genes. And
they are all products of their parents’ genes and so on…
Also, our genes guide the whole process of growth from
fertilized egg to adult and even up to death. In short, they
build our bodies and, says Dawkins, they build our
minds.
Finally, our lives are dedicated to finding mates who will
produce children who themselves will inherit… guess
what? Our genes!
Evolutionary Psychology
Unlike our mortal bodies,
genes, Dawkins says,
are potentially immortal
since they can be
passed on from one
generation to the other,
theoretically, forever!
Evolutionary Psychology
For Dawkins genes
are not just the
blueprint of all
living things, they
are the raison
d’etre of all living
things.
The Selfish Gene made quite a splash
Evolutionary Psychology
Like sociobiology, ep argues that human
behaviour is shaped by genes and evolution.
Evolutionary Psychology
Thus, despite our modern civilization, we still
have within us inherited behaviours that date
back to paleolithic times!
Evolutionary Psychology
• For ep this explains many things:
– Why humans are still aggressive and warlike
– Why humans also sometimes co-operate and help
each other (altruism)
– Why males and females differ in their sexual
behaviour
– Why religion exists
– Why some people are shy and others extroverted
– Why males are better at some intellectual skills and
females better at others
– Etc…
Evolutionary Psychology
All these behaviours
can be explained by
the genes “desire”
to survive and
maximize their own
reproduction.
Evolutionary Psychology
• One way to understand their thinking is to
examine the behaviour of “altruism”
• Altruism, Wilson said, was the “central
problem of sociobiology” (and ep too!).
(next class!)