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Can Evolutionary Psychology be Revived

Can Evolutionary Psychology be Revived. Gottfried A. Suessenbacher , Klagenfurt. A solid epistemological endeavour. 8th Alps-Adria Psychology Conference Department of Psychology , Faculty of Arts , University of Ljubljana, Slovenia.

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Can Evolutionary Psychology be Revived

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  1. Can EvolutionaryPsychologybeRevived Gottfried A. Suessenbacher, Klagenfurt A solid epistemologicalendeavour 8th Alps-Adria Psychology Conference Department ofPsychology, FacultyofArts, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia

  2. The Hot-Interference-&-Symbolic-Transformation Model • Contents • -> Specieslookforand live on energy • - Evolution of primate species • - Preconditions • - Transitions • - Australopithecines -> Genus homo • ->Energythespecies-specificattractor • - Transitions • -> The species´ brainsevolve due toenergyresources • ->Energy-managementthebaseof Genus homo´ssymbolicculture 8th Alps-Adria Psychology Conference Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia

  3. Evolution of primate species Archaic primates (similar to Great Apes)~16mya Ancestor of Chimpanzees and Genus homo ~10mya Australopithecines ~6mya Homo habilis & erectus ~2mya Homo ergaster ~1.5mya ArcaicHomo sapiens ~0.5-0.2mya Homo neanderthalensis ~0.4-0.025mya Homo sapiens ~0.4-0.0mya Klein, 1999 8th Alps-Adria Psychology Conference Department ofPsychology, FacultyofArts, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia The Hot-Interference-&-Symbolic-Transformation Model Specieslookforand live on energy

  4. The Hot-Interference-&-Symbolic-Transformation Model Specieslookforand live on energy Evolution of primate species Archaic primates (similar to Great Apes) Ancestor of Chimpanzees and Genus homo Australopithecines ~6mya Homo habilis & erectus ~2mya Homo ergaster ~1.5mya ArcaicHomo sapiens ~0.5-0.2mya Homo neanderthalensis ~0.4-0.025mya Homo sapiens ~0.4-0.0mya Klein, 1999 8th Alps-Adria Psychology Conference Department ofPsychology, FacultyofArts, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia

  5. The Hot-Interference-&-Symbolic-Transformation Model Specieslookforand live on energy PRECONDITIONS From Archaic primates to Hominin ancestors to Australopithecines to Homo habilis & erectus Oscillations Seasonality & climate changes: Needfor adjusting to ecological conditions (moist & temperature, repeated forest contraction etc.) Ward/Flinn/Begun, 2004 8th Alps-Adria Psychology Conference Department ofPsychology, FacultyofArts, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia

  6. The Hot-Interference-&-Symbolic-Transformation Model Specieslookforand live on energy • PRECONDITIONS Ward/Flinn/Begun, 2004 • Oscillations led to • arborial and terrestrial locomotion/navigation -> • - Cognitive challenges (representational capacity) • Fission-fusion behavior in foraging: • evolution of different primate species dependent on food • Dietary breath: arborialsoft food -> technically difficult food & fallback foods • (hard food, foods needing preparation) 8th Alps-Adria Psychology Conference Department ofPsychology, FacultyofArts, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia

  7. The Hot-Interference-&-Symbolic-Transformation Model Specieslookforand live on energy • PRECONDITIONS • Fission-fusion according to foraging led to • less rigid dominance & enhanced social tolerance • (flexible use of eye contact) • intrasexualbonds with non-kin • (Social learning, cultural transmission) • Complex social and ecological demands tangle: Diverse demands need integrated solutions • Ward/Flinn/Begun, 2004 8th Alps-Adria Psychology Conference Department ofPsychology, FacultyofArts, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia

  8. The Hot-Interference-&-Symbolic-Transformation Model • Specieslookforand live on energy Transitions = 2.5 myastart of stone manufacturing = 2 myarobust australopithecines (till 1.4 mya) = 2 mya H. erectus (taller) & (later) Neandertals = 250,00 yaH. sapiens replaces H. erectus etc. H.sp. = 100.00-50.00 yaspecial-purpose tools, human speech, decoration etc (symbols) = 40.000 ya tools from bones, shells, burials, artifacts 8th Alps-Adria Psychology Conference Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia

  9. The Hot-Interference-&-Symbolic-Transformation Model Specieslookforand live on energy “First” /”Great” Transition From Australopithecines to first Homo species = 2.5 myastart of stone manufacturing = 2 myarobust australopithecines (till 1.4 mya) = 2 mya H. erectus (taller) & (later) Neandertals Variety of stone tools (hand axes) and fire and containers for water & food Ward/Flinn/Begun, 2004 8th Alps-Adria Psychology Conference Department ofPsychology, FacultyofArts, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia

  10. The Hot-Interference-&-Symbolic-Transformation Model Specieslookforand live on energy “First” /”Great” Transition From Australopithecines to first Homo species From 2.5 mya to 2 mya: Adaptionsto different ecosystems and to the environmental factor FIRE Ignition by solar radiation, volcanic activity, lightning Combustion of wood/pitch, animal fat/hair/dung, beeswax, vegetable fat/oil, tar Ward/Flinn/Begun, 2004 8th Alps-Adria Psychology Conference Department ofPsychology, FacultyofArts, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia

  11. The Hot-Interference-&-Symbolic-Transformation Model • Specieslookforand live on energy “First” /”Great” Transition From Australopithecines to first Homo species From 2.5 mya to 2 mya: Adaptionsto different ecosystems and to the environmental factor FIRE Advantages – light, warmth, heat Disadvantages - smoke, explosion, injury, death Ignition - igniting techniques Fessler, 2006 8th Alps-Adria Psychology Conference Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia

  12. The Hot-Interference-&-Symbolic-Transformation Model • Specieslookforand live on energy “First” /”Great” Transition From Australopithecines to first Homo species From 2.5 mya to 2 mya: Adaptionsto different ecosystems and to the environmental factor FIRE Utilities of fire usage Cooking (Diet), cave colonization, settlement & hunting, combat (predators, conspecifics), tool production, management of plant resources 8th Alps-Adria Psychology Conference Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia

  13. The Hot-Interference-&-Symbolic-Transformation Model • Energythespecies-specificattractor “First” /”Great” Transition FU & affective processes -> Adaptation: Discipline Ability - to inhibit impulses towards avoidance/escape - to master nociceptive stimuli (pain) - to adopt and memorize emotional values which develop in the context of fire - to share emotions common to all 8th Alps-Adria Psychology Conference Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia

  14. The Hot-Interference-&-Symbolic-Transformation Model • Energythespecies-specificattractor • “First” /”Great” Transition • FU & cognitive processes -> Adaptation:Cognition • (Proto)Logical operations • Ability • to recognize elements & their relations • - to invent the concept FU & its schemata • to initiate, execute, evaluate FU-behavior • (eg. assessing dangers & advantages of fire) 8th Alps-Adria Psychology Conference Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia

  15. The Hot-Interference-&-Symbolic-Transformation Model • Energythespecies-specificattractor • “First” /”Great” Transition • FU & communicative behavior -> Adaptation: Rules • Exchange of purposeful information • Ability, at first • - to develop recursive FU-rituals • (peripheral FU- relate to central FU-features) • - to use simple forms of empathy • to initiate, execute & evaluate prosocialbehavior 8th Alps-Adria Psychology Conference Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia

  16. The Hot-Interference-&-Symbolic-Transformation Model • Energythespecies-specificattractor “First” /”Great” Transition Interpenetration of Affect, cognition & communication: Need for success in competition AND cooperation Adaption & by-products: Target oriented control by recursive group-interaction -> brain alterations Mithen, 2007 8th Alps-Adria Psychology Conference Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia

  17. The Hot-Interference-&-Symbolic-Transformation Model • The species´ brainsevolve due toenergy resources • Prinziplesofcerebralevolution • Adaptation by • Mosaiccerebralevolution • Conzertedcerebralevolution • Neurogenetcprinziples (Deacon´srule) • Lateequals large • Large equals well-connected • Trend in Primates • Increasingneocortex-size • Non-neocortexstructuressimplified • (shiftedto/subsumedofneocortex) • Striedter, 2005 8th Alps-Adria Psychology Conference Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia

  18. The Hot-Interference-&-Symbolic-Transformation Model • The species´ brainsevolve due toenergy resources Need for success in competition AND cooperation: ToM (TheoryofMind) = Specificadaptationforcompetition (empathy!) Gyruscinguli & Amygdala & ….. MSA (Mental State Attribution) = skillsforcompetition AND cooperation(cognition!) Medial prefrontal Cortex, Lobustemporalis, ….. MNS (Mirror Neuron System) = Activationrepresentsthemeaningofaction Broca-Region, motoric Cortex, ….. 8th Alps-Adria Psychology Conference Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia

  19. 20-70 species of Genus Homo Stone industries Homo s. sapiens Australopithecines Homo neanderthalensis 16th Psychology Days in Zadar – May 2008

  20. The Hot-Interference-&-Symbolic-Transformation Model • Energy-managementthebaseof Genus homo´ssymbolicculture 01. The mind consists of specialized modules 02. Modules = network within the cerebral substrate 03. Module = domain-specific, relates to Pleistocene 04. Mind is the product of psychological adaptations 05. Adaptations solved problems of pleistocene life 06. 150.00 years Homo sapiens = genetically to short 07. Genus Homo-> aptations, by-products, spandrels 08. Selectionallyorientated, Human Nature means “normality” in the sense of average in Grey´s Anatomy 09. Universal psychological adaptations constituted the regularities of cultures Buller, 2007 8th Alps-Adria Psychology Conference Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia

  21. The Hot-Interference-&-Symbolic-Transformation Model • Energy-managementthebaseof Genus homo´ssymbolicculture 01. The mind consists of specialized modules 02. Modules = network within the cerebral substrate 03. Module = domain-specific, relates to Pleistocene 04. Mind is the product of psychological adaptations 05. Adaptations solved problems of pleistocene life 06. 150.00 years Homo sapiens = genetically to short 07. Genus Homo-> aptations, by-products, spandrels 08. Selectionallyorientated, Human Nature means “normality” in the sense of average in Grey´s Anatomy 09. Universal psychological adaptations constituted the regularities of cultures 8th Alps-Adria Psychology Conference Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia

  22. The Hot-Interference-&-Symbolic-Transformation Model • Energy-managementthebaseof Genus homo´ssymbolicculture 08. Selectionallyorientated, Human Nature means “normality” in the sense of average in Grey´s Anatomy 09. Universal psychological adaptations constituted the regularities of cultures “a claim that there exists an universal human nature must be committed to some distinction between normality and abnormality. For, strictly speaking, there are no characteristics that are universally distributed among all and only human beings (Buller, 2007, p. 428). (b)  due to the process of proliferate-and-prune of the brain´s neurons & connections the “´modular´ information-processing structures  are environmentally shaped, not ´genetically specified´, outcomes of [different] development´” (p. 134) . 8th Alps-Adria Psychology Conference Department ofPsychology, FacultyofArts, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia

  23. The Hot-Interference-&-Symbolic-Transformation Model • Energy-managementthebaseof Genus homo´ssymbolicculture 08. Selectionallyorientated, Human Nature means “normality” in the sense of average in Grey´s Anatomy 09. Universal psychological adaptations constituted the regularities of cultures (a)  “some cultural universals may have emerged without having been generated by evolved psychological mechanisms” and they (b)  “may signal only a common origin of all the world´s cultures”. (c)  they “may be cultural homologies – cultural traits that derived, possibly with modification, from a cultural trait of the ancestral human population from which we all evolved” (Buller, 2007, 467/68). 8th Alps-Adria Psychology Conference Department ofPsychology, FacultyofArts, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia

  24. The Hot-Interference-&-Symbolic-Transformation Model • Energy-managementthebaseof Genus homo´ssymbolicculture 08. Selectionallyorientated, Human Nature means “normality” in the sense of average in Grey´s Anatomy 09. Universal psychological adaptations constituted the regularities of cultures Conclusion: Those evolutionary adaptionsto different environmental conditons of FIRE from 2.5 mya to 2 mya may bring up a solid answer to the endeavour of a solid Evolutionary Psychology 8th Alps-Adria Psychology Conference Department ofPsychology, FacultyofArts, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia

  25. The Hot-Interference-&-Symbolic-Transformation Model • References Buller, D.J. (2006). AdaptingMinds. EvolutionaryPsychologyandthe Persistent Quest for Human Nature. Cambridge, MA: MIT. - Deacon, T.W. (1997). The SymbolicSpecies. The Co-Evolution of Language andthe Brain. London: Norton. - Merlin, D. (2001). A Mind so Rare. The Evolution of Human Consciousness. New York: Norton. - Platek, St. et al. (2007). EvolutionaryCognitiveNeuroscience. Cambridge: MIT. Russon, A.E. & Begun, D.R. (2004). The Evolution ofThought. Evolutionary Origins of Great ApeIntelligence. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. - Striedter, G. (2005). Principlesof Brain Evolution. Sunderland, MA: Sinauer. 8th Alps-Adria Psychology Conference Department ofPsychology, FacultyofArts, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia

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