Understanding and Applying the Theory of Evolution

Explain the theory of evolution.
The theory of evolution seeks to explain the origin of life on Earth and the origin of different species. According to evolutionary theory, life began billions of years ago, when a group of chemicals inadvertently organized themselves into a self-replicating molecule. This tiny molecule gave rise to everything that has ever lived on the planet. Different and more complex organisms grew from this simple beginning through mutation of DNA and natural selection.

Explain the “nature vs nurture” debate.
The nature versus nurture debate is one of the oldest issues in psychology. The debate centers on the relative contributions of genetic inheritance and environmental factors to human development. For example, when a person achieves tremendous academic success, did they do so because they are genetically predisposed to be successful or is it a result of an enriched environment?

What is wrong with the concept of “nature vs. nurture”?

 That we can never find out what is it that determines how we are. The majority of people found their 'truth' somewhere in between those two statements.

What is meant by “social Darwinism”?
Social Darwinism is defined by the idea of "survival of the fittest" and how it applies to socioeconomic environments. By this reasoning, the weak and the poor are "unfit" and should be allowed to die without societal intervention.

Explain eugenics.
 It is a study of human genetics and of methods to improve the inherited characteristics, physical and mental, of the human race. 

What is the problem with the concept of eugenics?
 That it would end up by smoothing out the 'bad' genes by killing the one that have them, which is not acceptable by today's society.

What does the term “fitness” mean in relation to evolution?
It's the ability to survive long enough to pass on genes by having many offspring and the ability for those offspring to then do the same.

What is meant by “genetic determination”?
It is the belief  that genes, along with environmental conditions, determine morphological and behavioral phenotypes.

What is “fixation”?

 It is a persistent attachment, not only to the specific instinctual aims of a particular era, but, instead, to the entire complex of self and object relation at that time.

What is “canalization”?
  The tendency of heredity to restrict the development of some characteristics to just one or a few outcomes.

What is “punctuated equilibrium”?
The hypothesis that evolutionary development is marked by isolated episodes of rapid speciation between long periods of little or no change.

How does evolution relate to psychology?
It created a new branch of psychology and showed the link between the two sciences. Darwin's work on human evolution and the expression of emotions demonstrated how empirical tests can be performed using data from different species to learn about how behaviour evolves. This “comparative method” is the most important method in evolutionary psychology.

Examine one evolutionary explanation of behavior

Curtis (2004) : Investigated whether there were patterns in people's disgust responses. 

Participants: 77 000 altogether, from 165 different countries. Conducted an Internet based survey in which participants were shown series of 20 photographs, an asked to rank each image for how disgusting it was. There were seven pairs in which one was infectious and a matching image was not (e.g. body fluids, coloured liquid). Those images containing substances that would most strongly harm the immune system were rated highest on disgustingness. Disgust decreased with age and female were more disgusted than males, which supports the idea that disgust is a form of protection to enhance chances of successful reproduction.