Transcript Tinbergen, N. (1952). The curious behavior of the stickleback.

Part 2
Nature
Evolution, language, and
species-typical (innate) behavior
patterns
© Kip Smith, 2003
Today
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Species-typical behavior patterns
© Kip Smith, 2003
2.2 Species-typical
behavior patterns
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Sticklebacks
Tinbergen, N. (1952). The curious behavior of
the stickleback. Scientific American article 1
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Curious behavior patterns of humans
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Facial expression of emotion
Attitudes towardsl sex
Jealousy, Aggression, Altruism
Some common misconceptions about
evolution
© Kip Smith, 2003
Step 1 - Observe
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Casual observations led Tinbergen to the
hypothesis that male sticklebacks react to the
color red.
Observations
Support
or
Refine
Hypotheses
© Kip Smith, 2003
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What were those
observations?
Step 2 - Generate a falsifiable
hypothesis
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What hypothesis did Tinbergen form to
explain those observations?
Observations
Support
or
Refine
Hypotheses
© Kip Smith, 2003
Step 3 - Test the hypothesis
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How did Tinbergen test the hypothesis?
Hypotheses
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Drive
Testing &
Experimentation
Step 1 again - New observations
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What data did Tinbergen gather in his
experiments?
More
observations
Generate
Testing &
Experimentation
© Kip Smith, 2003
Step 1 again - New observations
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What were the results?
What did Tinbergen observer in his
experiments?
More
observations
Generate
Testing &
Experimentation
© Kip Smith, 2003
Step 2 again - Refine the
hypothesis
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What hypothesis did Tinbergen’s
experimental observations lead him
make?
Support
or
Refine
Hypotheses
© Kip Smith, 2003
More
observations
What are
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Sign stimuli?
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Fixed action patterns?
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What does this have to do with
psychology?
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Tinbergen’s theory about
Innate drives & actual behavior
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“In any animal the innate drives
themselves are only the elementary forces
of behavior. It is the interaction among
those drives, giving rise to conflicts, that
shapes the animal’s actual behavior.”
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What does the curious behavior
of a little fish tell us about mind
and human behavior?
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What argument does Tinbergen
make to justify the following
claim?
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“To get light on the behavior of man,
particularly his innate drives and conflicts,
it is often helpful to study the elements of
behavior in a simple animal.”
© Kip Smith, 2003
Curious, innate behavior patterns
of humans
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Facial expression of emotion
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Attitudes toward sex
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Jealousy
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Aggression
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Altruism
© Kip Smith, 2003
Parental investment
(Trivers, 1972)
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The sex that does less of the parenting
wears the sexual display
The sex that does most of the parenting is
choosier in mate selection
© Kip Smith, 2003
Attitudes towards sex
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Woman invest a great deal of energy
bearing, and nurturing children
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Hence:
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The man’s job is done all too quickly
Women are choosier in mate selection
This innate difference is the product of our
mammalian evolutionary heritage
© Kip Smith, 2003
Jealousy
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A woman always knows that her child is
her own
Her man cannot be so certain
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Hence:
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Men are more prone to jealousy over perceived
infidelity than are women
This innate difference is the product of our
mammalian evolutionary heritage
© Kip Smith, 2003
Aggression
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Men are much more likely than women to:
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act tough,
go to war,
get in fights,
enjoy football,
fail to apologize,
admit making a mistake,
etc
© Kip Smith, 2003
Why?
Altruism
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Definition
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Helping someone else when there is no chance
of gaining anything from the effort
Cooperation without the expectation of
reciprocation
Why do we do this?
© Kip Smith, 2003
Muddiest Point
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Of all the things covered in class or in the
readings (of all the things that might be
on the test), what questions are you least
confident about being able to answer?
Please write on your 3x5 card the
concepts, definitions, facts, etc. that are
unclear and need more discussion
There are no wrong answers
© Kip Smith, 2003
Common misconceptions about
evolution
© Kip Smith, 2003
Myth 2
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The idea that some creatures are “more
evolved” than others and that they are,
accordingly, “better.”
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There is no such thing a “more evolved”
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All species evolve to fit a niche
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Some niches may be groovier than others, but
the species that fit them are not “better” than
others
© Kip Smith, 2003
Myth 3
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The notion that evolution is deterministic
Genes influence but do not control our
behavior
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Evolution is not a valid excuse for male
churlishness
Evolution does not absolve you of
responsibility
© Kip Smith, 2003
Myth 4
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Evolution optimizes
Natural selection does not “select” the
best, the healthiest, the most noble
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It merely culls those that do not fit their niche
If your species fits its niche, it will likely
survive
© Kip Smith, 2003
Myth 5
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Evolution is directed at a goal
Random variation does not have a plan or
a goal
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It just happens
© Kip Smith, 2003
For next time
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Read Chapter 11, pages 435 - 449, on
Language
© Kip Smith, 2003