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Ethology

Ethology. Ethology: study of the evolutionary significance of behaviors of a species in its natural surroundings. Sociobiology: genetic basis of human social behavior Evolutionary Psychology: origins of cognition in our species adaptation to the environment.

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Ethology

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  1. Ethology

  2. Ethology: study of the evolutionary significance of behaviors of a species in its natural surroundings. • Sociobiology: genetic basis of human social behavior • Evolutionary Psychology: origins of cognition in our species adaptation to the environment

  3. Orientation to the Components of Ethology • Species-Specific Innate Behavior • Within species are the same, inherited, and adaptive (e.g., reflexes, fixed action patterns) • Evolutionary Perspective • Concentration is on Pyhologenetic change (species level) over Ontogenetic (individual) • Learning Predispostions • Critical or sensitive periods, imprinting • Ethological methodology • Naturalistic Observation and lab experiments

  4. Human Relevant Contributions of the Theory • Infant-Caretaker Attachment (6-9 months) • Bowlby • Grasping, embracing, crying, babbling, smiling, facial imitation all facilitate attachment/bonding and survival. • Ainsworth • Secure “emotional” base. • Charlesworth • Social, physical, and informational “blocks”

  5. Strengths and Weaknesses Strengths: • Contribution to our understanding of attachment, social dominance, and some aspects of children’s problem solving • Broad in scope, provides much in the way of hypothesis building Weaknesses: • More descriptive than explanatory. Difficult to carry out controlled experiments. • Appeal to “sensitive and critical” periods raises the homunculus problem.

  6. Evolutionary Psychologists at WorkAn Interview with Steven Pinkert • http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3554279466299738997&q=Steven+Pinker&time=1410000

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