EAR-20 Lecture Notes - Lecture 31: Ethology, Evolutionary Psychology, Urie Bronfenbrenner
Document Summary
Ecological theories of development (ethological & evolutionary theories and the. Ecological & evolutionary theories view children as inheritors of genetically based abilities and predispositions. Focus on behavior that serve, or served, an adaptive function. Concerned with aspects of human development that are presumed to be based on our evolutionary heritage. These theories primarily focus on species-specific behavior. Species-specific behavior: behaviors that are common to members of a particular species (such as humans), but not typically observed in other species. Bioecological model considers how multiple levels of environment influence simultaneously affect development. Stresses the effects of context on development, but it also emphasizes the child"s active role in selecting and influencing those contexts. Ethology: the study of behavior within an evolutionary context. Attempts to understand behavior in terms of its adaptive or survival value. Ethologists argue that a variety of innate behavior patterns in animals, including imprinting, were shaped by evolution.
