A Level Psychology WJEC

Evolutionary Influences

Evolutionary Influences

Theory of Evolution

• At the heart of the biological approach lies Charles Darwin's Theory of Evolution.
• Darwin proposed that species evolve over time through a process he called natural selection.
• Natural selection occurs when individuals with advantageous traits for their environment are more likely to survive and pass on these traits.

Genes and Behaviour

• Evolutionary psychologists posit that behaviours, like physical traits, can be influenced by genes and therefore subject to natural selection.
• Certain actions may increase an individual's likelihood of reproductive success, and as such, these behaviours could be passed down through generations.
• This theory bridges the gap between biology and psychology, hinting at why certain traits and behaviours might have emerged throughout evolutionary history.

Adaptiveness of Behaviour

• The concept of adaptiveness is essential to understanding evolutionary influences on behaviour.
• Behaviours that are advantageous or increase one's chances of survival and reproduction are more likely to be continued in future generations.
• Evolutionary psychologists often ask why a behaviour is adaptive, or how it increases an individual's survival odds.

Example: Aggression

• For instance, aggressive behaviour might have been beneficial for our ancestors as it could protect resources, intimidate rivals, and signal strength and health to potential mates.
• Therefore, evolutionary psychologists might argue that aggression persists because it was historically adaptive and has been passed down through generations.

Controversies and Limitations

• The evolutionary approach to psychology is not without critique.
• Critics argue that it is reductionist to boil complex human behaviours down to survival benefits in the Pleistocene era.
• There is also a difficulty in testing these theories - ancestral human behaviour cannot be directly observed.
• Despite these critiques, the evolutionary approach offers a unique lens through which to view human behaviour, uniting elements of biology and psychology to explain why we behave the way we do.