Evolutionary psycho logists assert that human beings extend help based on an intuitive cost-benefit analysis

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Evolutionary psycho logists assert that human beings extend help based on an intuitive cost-benefit analysis and only risk resources when the expected benefit outweighs the cost of the action. One outcome of this is that we are more likely to help those to whom we are related instead of those to whom we are not related.

Based on your reading about evolutionary and existential approaches, answer the following:

Explain the above proposition given by evolutionary psychologists in your own words. You can be specific by identifying a time when you helped someone or chose not to help someone.
Clearly express a cost-benefit analysis you did in both the cases.
Natural and sexual selection has shaped the innate, human experience. But they also assert that as humans, we are only predisposed to act in certain ways under specific conditions and that we are not just instinctive creatures.

Imagine yourself an evolutionary psychologist, how would you explain murder or suicide? Use terminology specific to evolutionary personality theory.
According to evolutionary personality theory, men and women experience jealousy for different reasons. Males experience jealousy when they know or suspect that their mates are sexually unfaithful. Females experience jealousy when they know or suspect that the resources provided to her and her offspring by her mate are threatened by a rival.

Discuss the evolutionary personality theory proposed by evolutionary psychologists in terms of how it explains jealousy? Explain why you think your experience conforms or does not conform to the theory.
Some people find the evolutionary personality theory offensive or have strong opinions against it. What are your views about the theory? Explain.

Sample Solution

Evolutionary Psychology of Helping and Jealousy

Helping Behavior:

Evolutionary psychologists believe we help others based on an unconscious cost-benefit analysis. We’re more likely to help those we’re related to because sharing genes increases the chance of our genes surviving.

Personal Example:

Imagine I see an elderly woman struggling with groceries. Helping her (benefit: good deed, potential social reward) comes at a low cost (time, slight effort). On the other hand, if I see a stranger having car trouble on a deserted highway (benefit: uncertain, maybe gratitude), the cost is higher (potential danger, significant time commitment). Here, the cost-benefit analysis might make me less likely to help the stranger.

Murder and Suicide:

From an evolutionary perspective, murder and suicide seem illogical. However, evolutionary psychology offers explanations:

  • Murder: In ancestral environments, murder could be a strategy for:
    • Resource acquisition: Eliminating rivals for food or mates.
    • Kin selection: Protecting one’s genes by eliminating threats to close relatives (e.g., infanticide).
    • Retaliation: Punishing those who threaten survival or reproductive success.
  • Suicide: Suicide seems counterintuitive, but it might have been:
    • An altruistic act: In times of famine, sacrificing oneself for the good of the group could ensure the survival of close relatives who share your genes.
    • A way to escape unbearable suffering: If an individual is severely injured or diseased, suicide might have been seen as a way to avoid further pain and conserve resources for healthier members of the group.

Jealousy and Evolutionary Personality Theory:

This theory suggests men and women experience jealousy for different reasons:

  • Men: Jealousy is triggered by a perceived threat of sexual infidelity. This ensures their genes are passed on, not someone else’s.
  • Women: Jealousy stems from a threat to resources needed for their own survival and that of their offspring. This could be infidelity that threatens financial support or a rival who might take away a mate’s attention and investment in their children.

Does it Apply to Me?

(Insert your own experience of jealousy here). Analyze if it aligns with the theory. Perhaps you felt jealous of a colleague getting a promotion (threatening your resources) or a friend getting more attention from your significant other (threatening their investment in you).

My View on Evolutionary Personality Theory:

The theory offers an interesting lens for understanding human behavior. It doesn’t negate free will, but suggests we have certain predispositions shaped by evolution. While some find it offensive, it’s important to separate the theory from justifying negative behaviors. It simply explains why we might be more inclined to act in certain ways.

Understanding these predispositions can help us make more conscious choices and build a more empathetic and cooperative society.

 

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