Written for undergraduate psychology students, and assuming little knowledge of evolutionary science, the third edition of this classic textbook provides an essential introduction to evolutionary psychology. Key research on evolutionary psychology and inclusive fitness theory hamiltons rule in kin selection, as they relate to adoption. The theory suggests that altruism towards close relatives occurs in order to. A short book that includes an introductory primer in kin selection. Pdf evolutionary psychology, altruism, and kin selection. Many books in evolutionary psychology emphasize just a small part of the total picture.
Study on kin selection explores the evolutionary basis of. Adoption, evolution, and kin selection you dont know how. Altruism in animals might be blindly motivated by group preservation, but selfsacrificing behavior in humans is different, right. Dec 16, 2019 evolutionary psychology is a monumental work. The first is kin selection, the idea that behaviors that help a genetic relative are favored by natural selection. Also, a proper definition for indirect selection would be good as well. It combines a sophisticated understanding of the basics of evolutionary theory with a solid grasp of empirical case studies. Kin selection is the key to altruism university of oxford. Jerome barkow, leda cosmides and john tooby popularized the term evolutionary psychology in their highly influential 1992 book the adapted mind.
Adoption, evolution, and kin selection you dont know. According to hamiltons kin selection theory also known as inclusive fitness theory, kin selection is the process by which social evolution occurs in nature. The evolution of social behavior by kin selection the. However, from a practical point of view, it could not be clearer that the kin selection approach is the more broadly applicable tool. The term evolutionary psychology was probably coined by american biologist michael ghiselin in a 1973 article published in the journal science. Note, however, that in a very recent contribution, b. The evolution of altruistic and selfish behavior by kin selection has been analyzed previously by asking which types of behavior are favored by natural selection. Inclusive fitness theory and kin selection theory are among the most recognizable theories associated with evolutionary biology and psychology they are also among the most widely misunderstood. Kin selection is an evolutionary theory that proposes that people are more likely to help those who are blood relatives because it will increase the odds of gene transmission to future generations. The florida scrub jay is one of the beststudied examples of an organism that clearly favors its. According to the evolutionary psychology notion of kin selection, bob is most likely to help a his stepsister sally. Kin selection is the key to altruism welcome to the.
One of the most promising applications of evolutionary theory involves the explanation of incest avoidance, as an instance of altruism to be explained in terms of kin selection. Human evolutionary psychology princeton university press. Recent research suggests this is a possibility, and is influenced by an evolutionary process called kin selection. How psychologists explain altruistic helpful behaviors. Research focus kin selection is the key to altruism kevin r. Some people think that evolutionary psychology claims to have discovered that human nature is selfish and wicked. Kin selection is the evolutionary strategy that favours the reproductive success of an organisms.
Kinship has been central to evolutionary biological analyses of social behavior. Misrepresentations of evolutionary psychology evolutionary psychology issn 14747049 volume 123. The concept was formalized by jbs haldane 1955 and w. Sep 17, 2014 alturism inclusive fitness hamiltons rule kin selection. Political science psychology public health renaissance and reformation. Persistent misunderstandings of inclusive fitness and kin selection. Charles darwin discussed the concept of kin selection in his 1859 book, on the origin of species, where he reflected on. The second is the norm of reciprocity, which is the expectation that helping others will. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the moral animal. Their book provides a panoramic view of altruism throughout the animal kingdom from selfsacrificing parasites to insects that subsume themselves in the. Kin selection is the phrase used to refer to changes in gene frequency driven by natural. Raymond hames in handbook of evolutionary psychology 2015.
I would now like to more fully spellout how evolutionary psychology claimed to be able to explain the human condition. Kin selection is an instance of inclusive fitness, which combines the number of offspring produced with the number an individual. Kin altruism is the technical term for altruistic behaviour whose evolution is supposed to have been driven by biological kin selection. Study 143 terms psy 226 chapter 10 flashcards quizlet. The history of evolutionary psychology began with charles darwin, who said that humans have social instincts that evolved by natural selection. The evolutionary psychology of emotions and behavior martie g. It notmore this is a great book that explores the concepts and theories that have been discovered and explored in the realm of evolutionary psychology. Arshia this is a great book that explores the concepts and theories that have been discovered and explored in the realm of evolutionary psychology. Kinselection theory hamiltons genetical theory explains how aid that is selfsacrificing. Each chapter deals with a particular topic by illustrating how an evolutionary approach illuminates behavior as a response to problems faced by humans in.
Evolutionary psychology lance workman, will reader. However, the relationship between these two theories has been plagued by controversy for almost half a century. Human evolutionary psychology is a comprehensive, balanced, and readable introduction to this burgeoning field. Ratnieks2,4 1laboratory of ecological and evolutionary dynamics, department of biological and environmental sciences. There are plenty of examples in nature of altruistic behavior, but only a handful that seem to be clear examples of what evolutionary biologists called kin selection. Human evolutionary history and why kin selection should be important. Wilson proposes new theory of social evolution wired. November 23, 1998 beginning with a historical introduction, the text logically progresses by discussing adaptive problems humans face and ends with a chapter showing how the new field of evolutionary psychology encompasses all branches of psychology. The second is the norm of reciprocity, which is the expectation that helping others will increase the likelihood that they will help us in the future. Dunbar is a immenent british primatologist whose background includes a thorough grounding in the. Covering not only such traditional subjects as kin selection and mate choice, this text also examines more. Buy evolution and the levels of selection by samir okasha isbn. Kinselection theory hamiltons genetical theory explains how aid that is selfsacrificing in terms of classical individual fitness, or altruism, can evolve if sufficiently beneficial to relatives. An accessible introduction to the science of evolutionary psychology and how it explains many aspects of human nature.
Kin altruism is the technical term for altruistic behaviour whose evolution is. Each chapter deals with a particular topic by illustrating how an evolutionary approach illuminates. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. However, from a practical point of view, it could not be clearer that the kin selection approach is the more broadly applicable tool that we can use to understand the natural world. It is based on the concept of inclusive fitness, which is made up of individual survival and reproduction direct fitness and any impact that an individual. In nature, various species are more likely to help individuals who are more closely related to themselves. Evolutionary psychology is a theoretical approach in the social and natural sciences that examines psychological structure from a modern evolutionary perspective. Inclusive fitness theory and kin selection theory are among the most recognizable theories associated with evolutionary biology and psychologythey are also among the most widely misunderstood. The second edition of evolutionary psychology is the only book on the market that shows the relevance of evolutionary thinking to the entire range of psychological phenomena, and it does so at a level appropriate for readers new to the field. Inclusive fitness theory and kin selection theory are among the most recognizable theories associated with evolutionary biology and psychologythey are also. Fully updated with the latest research and new learning features, it provides a thoughtprovoking overview of evolution and illuminates the evolutionary foundation of many of the. It seeks to identify which human psychological traits are evolved adaptations that is, the functional products of natural selection or sexual selection in human evolution. Social psychology study on kin selection explores the evolutionary basis of sibling rivalry. Alturism inclusive fitness hamiltons rule kin selection.
Jan 09, 2014 fully updated with the latest research and new learning features, it provides a thoughtprovoking overview of evolution and illuminates the evolutionary foundation of many of the broader topics taught in psychology departments. The concept of kin selection, also known as inclusive fitness theory, is more than 50 years old and is now widely accepted as a predictably strong evolutionary biological model that explains why people make sacrifices for others. Kin selection theory hamiltons genetical theory explains how aid that is selfsacrificing in terms of classical individual fitness, or altruism, can evolve if sufficiently beneficial to relatives. Rays book gives students a clear understanding of how current psychological knowledge of human behavior and experience draws from a variety of perspectives. The oxford handbook of evolutionary family psychology. Evolutionary biologists have a name for that, too reciprocal selection. Arguments against kin selection how kin selection works. Kin selection unl digital commons university of nebraska. Individuals share 50% of their genes with a parent or sibling, so if an individual risks its own ability to reproduce or survive but helps its parents or m. Kin selection evolutionary biology oxford bibliographies.
If you had to read one book about evolutionary psychology, then pick this one. Kin selection, a type of natural selection that considers the role relatives play when evaluating the genetic fitness of a given individual. It is discussed here in order to clarify the meaning of kin selection and inclusive fitness the total reproductive valve of an individual, both its production of offspring and effects on. In a webpage, it is mentioned that kin selection is the evolutionary mechanism that selects for those behaviors that increase the inclusive fitness of the donor. The evolution of social behavior by kin selection jstor. Affective influences on social cognition and behavior.
The oxford handbook of evolutionary family psychology edited by catherine salmon and todd k. A synthesis of current ideas on the evolution of insect sociality shows how mutualism, parental. Wilsons ideas of kin selection and altruism based on genetics. When talking about the rules of natural selection and evolution, we tend to hold ourselves separate from the rest of nature. A more specific aim of the book is to explain in terms of kin selection theory the hierarchical organization of life, of genes in cells, of cells in multicellular organisms, and of organisms in societies.
Toward an evolutionary psychology of the family oxford handbooks. Evolutionary psychologists typically assume that ancestral hominids lived in compact groups that are kin based. The relationship between kin selection and group or multilevel. The evolutionary psychology of emotions and behavior. The theory suggests that altruism towards close relatives occurs in order to ensure the continuation of shared genes. The florida scrub jay is one of the beststudied examples of an organism that clearly favors its close blood relatives when exhibiting altruistic behavior. Kin altruism can look like altruistic behaviour whose evolution is driven by kin selection. Although there was some early support, it took several years for the theory to achieve widespread recognition and acceptance and to begin to be used in empirical studies. Hamiltons initial publication on kin selection was a short note in 1963, but hamilton 1964 represents the first full exposition of the theory. Okashas book makes the sort of contribution that will not be able to be. Goldschmidt did not realize is that i have an autographed copy of his book, bridge to. Researchers have suggested that helping ones relatives may act as a form of natural selectioncalled kin selection. Wilson proposes new theory of social evolution the dominant evolutionary theory for earths most successful creatures, and a proposed influence on human altruism, is under attack. As just mentioned, the value of kin selections dismissal of our moral instincts as being selfish is that it said that it isnt our fault that we are selfish because its just the natural state we are born.
At one level, kin selection and group selection are just different ways of doing the math or conceptualizing the evolutionary process. Kin selection is a way of understanding allele frequency change as a consequence of the actions and interactions among individuals who share alleles by recent common descent ie, kin. Criticisms and misunderstandings of evolutionary approaches to human behaviour. Evolutionary theory explains prosocial behavior in four ways. The evolutionary biology of altruism psychology today. Unlike many books on the topic, which focus on abstractions like kin selection, this book focuses on darwinian explanations of why we are the way we areemotionally and morallyand interweaves episodes from darwins own life as illuminating examples. Kin selection is a type of natural selection in which an individual attempts to ensure the survival of its own genes by protecting closely related individuals first. Apr 28, 2016 kin selection and multilevel selection are two major frameworks in evolutionary biology that aim at explaining the evolution of social behaviors. Hamilton 1963, while the actual term kin selection may first have been coined by john maynard smith 1964 when he wrote these processes i will call kin selection and group selection respectively. But they are flattering the researchers and anyone who would claim to have discovered the opposite. Ill protect your nest this year, if you protect mine next year. Kin selection psychology wiki fandom powered by wikia.
Evolutionary psychology is to evolutionary psychology what the social animal is to social psychology, such as. Many evolutionary biologists explain this by the theory of kin selection. Darwins work inspired later psychologists such as william james and sigmund freud but for most of the 20th century psychologists focused more on behaviorism and proximate explanations for human behavior. Kin selection and multilevel selection are two major frameworks in evolutionary biology that aim at explaining the evolution of social behaviors. Kin selection is the evolutionary strategy that favours the reproductive success of an organisms relatives, even at a cost to the organisms own survival and reproduction. Evolutionary psychology too often believes a behaviour is an. The evolution and psychology of unselfish behaviour. Evolutionary psychology world transformation movement. Williams showed that when mating pairs are rigidly monogamous and altruistic acts lower the fitness of both spouses, hamiltons rule is not correct and.
Ratnieks2,4 1laboratory of ecological and evolutionary dynamics, department of biological and environmental sciences, university of helsinki, helsinki, 00014, finland 2wissenschaftskolleg zu berlin, institute for advanced study, berlin, 14193, germany. Kin selection and its critics bioscience oxford academic. Misrepresentations of evolutionary psychology in sex and. A type of behavior is defined as a given costbenefit ratio, cb, in terms of darwinian. As with group selection, it is a consequence of the properties of groups that cause allele frequency change. Theres no doubt that much of our behavior is an expression of our deep biological urges to survive and reproduce. Evolutionary psychology, altruism, and kin selection. Evolutionary psychology is the most recent program aiming to explain the relevance of darwinism to psychology. Kin selection, group selection, and the varieties of population.
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