Evolution Psychology Essay

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Essay question: Is schizophrenia an evolved adaptation?
This assignment is designed to assess your ability to consider the multidisciplinary evidence for schizophrenia
being an evolved adaptation. In the first 2 lectures we consider the fundamental basics of evolutionary theory.
You must demonstrate your understanding of these in relation to the essay question. In week 3 the lecture
considers the methods used by evolutionary psychologists to develop an argument in relation to a
psychological phenomenon being an adaptation. You will need to use several of these areas of evidence to
build up your argument. The following are some of the areas of evidence you could consider for this essay
(although some of them may be not be relevant) and you should use these areas of evidence as subheadings
in your essay:
• Genetic and other biological evidence
• Cross-cultural evidence
• Theoretical evidence
• Comparative evidence
• Archaeological evidence
• Psychological evidence
Your essay should start with an introduction to the topic then consider no more than 3 areas of evidence and
then end with a conclusion that answers the essay question.
you are expected to go into some depth when discussing the evidence and to critically evaluate the evidence in
terms of the essay question. You should also provide a balanced essay and provide evidence that both
supports and refutes the essay question.

 

 

 

Sample Solution

Evolution Psychology Essay

Schizophrenia is a mental illness characterized by experiencing persistent hallucinations, delusions, paranoia, and thought disorder. Schizophrenia has been hypothesized to be unique to human beings and existing for a long time. As schizophrenia is foremost a disorder of the consciousness, it has been suggested that schizophrenia exists as an unwanted byproduct of the evolution of the prefrontal cortex and other brain regions constituting the social brain. Genetic vulnerability to schizophrenia increased after the divergence of modern humans from Neanderthals [Norwegian Center for Mental Disorders Research]. They therefore lend weight to the hypothesis that schizophrenia is a bi-product of the complex human brain.

to start as early as possible. Since parents can instruct incidental teaching, it could be beneficial to start in a natural home environment. McGee, Morrier, and Daly (1999) completed a study where the participants were toddlers instead of preschool-aged children, and there was a home-based component. The study included both a natural environment of a childcare center and the home of the child (McGee et al., 1999). The study consisted 28 children with ASD who participated in the program for at least months with more than thirty hours a week of planned early intervention through a combination of home based program and a center-based program (McGee et al., 1999). The parents had ten additional hours of hands-on training so they can implement the procedure at home. The study found that, by the time the children left the program to go to preschool, 82% of the toddlers with ASD were verbalizing meaningful words, so majority had functional language going into preschool (McGee et al., 1999).

Incidental teaching is a procedure that meets the needs for an inclusive group of toddlers and preschool aged children who have ASD and who are typically developed (McGee et al., 1999). Incidental teaching is a method that can use typical peers to aid the advancement of language and development with children who have ASD, but since it is in a more natural setting it diminishes the social barriers. In addition, it is a method that provides intensive instruction for children with ASD, but it also allows the children to be engaged in age-appropriate play with their peers (McGee et al., 1999). Hart and Risley (1975) discussed that peers in a naturalistic setting can also provide the instruction. This could not only aid the advancement of verbal skills with autistic children, but it could also promote social interaction.

McGee and Daly (2007) discussed that there is evidence that incidental teaching and stimulus-fading techniques can enhance autistic children’s communication in a socially meaningful way. A study was done that evaluated peer incidental teaching as a way to increase peer interactions by children with ASD (McGee, Almeida, Sulzer-Azaroff, and Feldman, 1992). The study gave a typ

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