week 1 psychology

week 1 psychology

part 1 After reading chapter 1, address the following questions:

1. Are humans a ‘blank slate’?
2. What is the environment of evolutionary adaptedness (EEA) and how does it play a role in does it play a role in evolutionary psychology?
3. How are evolutionary approaches different from traditional approaches to psychology?

Submit your initial discussion response early in the week, by Wednesday below, then select classmates to "Reply" to. Comment on at least three of your classmates' contributions supplementing their contributions with references of your own, the discussion exercise closes on Sunday.

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Cynthia James

15 hours ago, at 8:10 PM

NEW

Hi class,

Week 1 Discussion

In psychology, there has been much discussion about whether or not people are born with a "blank slate." The blank slate theory, which contends that environmental factors completely shape human behavior, is rejected by evolutionary psychology, according to David M. Buss (2024). Rather, evolutionary theory suggests that humans possess an innate set of psychological mechanisms that have evolved as a result of natural selection. These systems are adaptations that aided in the survival and procreation of our ancestors. Therefore, humans have biological predispositions that interact with environmental factors to influence behavior, rather than being empty vessels shaped only by experience.

The Environment of Evolutionary Adaptedness (EEA) is a key idea in evolutionary psychology. The collection of environmental circumstances that led to the evolution of human psychological traits, especially during the hunter-gatherer era, is known as the EEA. It is crucial to remember that the EEA is a collection of recurrent difficulties and forces that influenced human evolution rather than a particular period or location. In order for psychologists to comprehend why particular behaviors and tendencies are prevalent today, the EEA concept is essential. Adaptive issues encountered in ancestral environments can be linked to a number of contemporary human behaviors, including food preferences and social bonding patterns. There may be discrepancies between evolved tendencies and contemporary circumstances, though, because these adaptations are not always in perfect harmony with contemporary society. There may be discrepancies between evolved tendencies and contemporary circumstances, though, because these adaptations are not always in perfect harmony with contemporary society.

The Standard Social Science Model and other conventional approaches to psychology are very different from evolutionary psychology. Conventional methods typically highlight proximate causes, emphasizing how culture, learning, and immediate environmental factors affect behavior. Evolutionary psychology, on the other hand, concentrates on ultimate causes, investigating the reasons behind the evolution of particular behaviors as well as the adaptive issues they were intended to address. Furthermore, evolutionary psychology contends that the human mind is made up of specialized mechanisms designed to address particular problems encountered by our ancestors, in contrast to traditional viewpoints that frequently assume the human mind is a general-purpose learning system.

In conclusion, evolutionary psychology integrates biological and environmental factors to offer a framework for comprehending human behavior. It deviates from conventional methods by concentrating on the evolutionary roots of human thought behavior and, challenges the blank slate theory by highlighting innate psychological adaptations, and emphasizes the significance of the EEA in forming behavior.

Word Count: 429

Reference

David M. Buss. (2024). Evolutionary psychology: The new science of the mind. Routledge.

part 2 In APA format, using a minimum of 7 peer-reviewed journal articles as references, please explain the manner in which Evolutionary Psychology impacted the Cognitive Revolution.

In 3 to 5 pages, be sure to:

• Define the cognitive revolution.
• Define evolutionary psychology as a field.
• Explain the manner in which evolutionary psychology influenced the cognitive revolution.
• Introduce and explain the important people in the coming together of the field of evolutionary psychology and the cognitive revolution and present the roles each of them played in this important milestone.