PSY BEH 11A Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Evolutionary Arms Race, Social Cognition, Pleistocene
20 Jul 2016
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Evolutionary arms race: push biology to its limits. Male peacocks- sexual selection (attract females with their feathers: organs. Evolution would shape every aspect of mind (perception, cognition, emotions: have evolutionary origin. All of psychology has to do with evolution. Taking in sensory cues (there are hundreds of cues); one analyzes another within half a second. This is an extremely sophisticated computation, measuring: genetic health, developmental health. Initial analysis of the reproductive fitness of a person- attractiveness. Genes, health, age, hormones (amount of sex hormones) Symmetry of face is one of many cues that are being analyzed o. Being more symmetric translates to being more attractive. Symmetric face equates to: genes have to be really healthy, no developmental problems during gestation, no parasites, no deforming diseases. 2-3% of reproducing if they find unsymmetrical faces attractive (they have a mutation) One thing that men find attractive in women is youth. Lower chance of gene passed to next generation.
