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The Influence of the Theory of Evolution on Psychology

The Influence of the Theory of Evolution on Psychology. Did mental functions evolve? Did consciousness evolve?. Pre-Darwin Thoughts. Goethe. Different plant forms can be established by the modification of one part into another. Erasmus Darwin (b. 1721).

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The Influence of the Theory of Evolution on Psychology

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  1. The Influence of the Theory of Evolution on Psychology • Did mental functions evolve? • Did consciousness evolve?

  2. Pre-Darwin Thoughts

  3. Goethe • Different plant forms can be established by the modification of one part into another

  4. Erasmus Darwin (b. 1721) • Changes in species occur through adaptations to the environment related to the “struggle for survival”

  5. Lamarck (b. 1744) • There is a descent of species from other species over a long period of time • Tendency in organisms toward increased complexity • Acquired alterations are passed on to offspring

  6. Herbert Spencer (b. 1820) • Spencer's views similar to Lamarck • Synthetic Philosophy • Evolutionary Associationism • "Survival of the fittest” • ”Social Evolution"

  7. Charles R. Darwin (b. 1809) • Edinburgh: medical training • Cambridge: clergy training; met botanist John Henslow • Degree in 1831

  8. The Voyage of the HMS Beagle

  9. Darwin collected and recorded many things • Observed natives in Tierra del Fuego

  10. Odd behaviors in animals on Galapagos Islands, e.g., finches • Oddities were adaptations to the environment

  11. Famous at Home • 1836- arrived back in England • 1839- elected to Royal Society • 1839- published Voyage of the Beagle

  12. Alfred Wallace (1858) • Theory similar to Darwin's theory of natural selection

  13. Natural Selection • Competition for resources • Competition between predator and prey • Competition within species • Environment changes over vast periods of time • Within-species variation • Formation of new species

  14. Upset with Natural Selection? • De-emphasizes religion/church • Oxford debate - Samuel Wilberforce (Soapy Sam) and FitzRoy • No plan or purpose to natural selection?

  15. 1871: The Descent of Man • Differences from other creatures is quantitative, not qualitative

  16. Darwin and Psychology

  17. 1872: The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals • Existence of emotions taken for granted • Interested in how emotions expressed behaviorally • Human emotional expressions are inherited • Emotions evolved because they have survival value • Studied emotions anatomically, developmentally, comparatively, cross-culturally

  18. Human Development • First developmental diary on his 1st child • "Biographical Sketch of an Infant“ (1877) • Sensation • Anger • Pleasurable sensations • Affection • Reason • Means of communication

  19. Indirect Contributions to Psychology • No differences between man and animal • Animals had some intelligence • We have instincts • Humans are part of nature and as such can be studied • Environment affects behavior • In order to understand something we must understand its history

  20. Francis Galton (b. 1822) and Individual Differences • Darwin's cousin

  21. Galton the Adventurer • 1850: explored parts of Namibia • Elected to the Royal Society 1856

  22. Galton the Measurer and Inventor • Recorded weather behavior (anticyclone) • Invented supersonic dog whistle

  23. (1892) “Fingerprints” or “Galton’s Details”

  24. First classification system for fingerprints • Original interest was in establishing heredity and racial background • No two fingerprints are the same; they do not change over time • Odds 1 in 64 billion two fingerprints are the same

  25. Statistics • Studied distributions of guesses • Medians vs. means • Correlation and regression • Students: Karl Pearson and James Cattell

  26. Inherited Traits: Intelligence • Within any population, there will be great individual differences • Differences will be largely inherited • Expect certain characteristics to show up in certain families • Physical and psychological traits inherited

  27. Hereditary Genius (1869) • Studied "eminence" by examining family trees of famous people in science, literature, military, politics etc. • Sent out questionnaires to 200 Royal Fellows to ask them various Q's relevant to innateness vs. other background variables

  28. The Phrase “Nature and Nurture" Coined by Galton • Studied 100 pairs of twins; thought that results supported nature

  29. Eugenics • Human race improved by selectively breeding the "best" people • Criminals should be castrated • Immigration should be limited

  30. Galton's Contributions • Careful measurement • Descriptive statistics • Word association methodology • Explored mental imagery • Apparatus to measure olfactory perception • Study of individual differences

  31. Animal Intelligence

  32. George John Romanes (b. 1848) • A "shocking dunce" • 1870 - Cambridge for clergy, but then read Darwin

  33. Animal Intelligence (1881) • Started the field of comparative psychology • Collection of anecdotes about intelligent animals • Sought to establish common dimensions of evolution between humans and animals • Methodology was suspect: anthropomorphic

  34. Conway Lloyd Morgan (b. 1852) • Criticized Romanes about scorpion suicide • Morgan's Canon: Should not interpret an action as the result of a higher psychical faculty if it can be interpreted as the result of a lower psychical faculty

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