PSY321H5 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Cultural Evolution, Evolution, Environmental Factor
Document Summary
Culture is dynamic, not static and in a constant process of changing. However, some things nevertheless stay the same. Increased proportion of a trait that confers advantages in survival and/or reproduction. Individual variability within a species for a trait. When ecological pressures favor survival of some variant of a trait, proportion of that variant in the population increases over time. Example the shape of the beak fits the diet shown by each type of finch. = is a cultural element (e. g. , idea, practice) that spreads from person to person. Memes that are successful at spreading and being retained become more common. Memes that are unsuccessful may cease to exist over time. Meme are passed from one individual to another. Memes differ in their survival rates = vary in competitiveness. Cultural innovations occur more frequently than genetic mutations. Example: people become obese due to in-taking too much calories.
