Evolutionary explanations

Question 1

Introduction

Answer 1

Individuals vary in traits (physical and behavior) and some of these variations are inherited through genes

Question 2

Survival of the fittest/natural selection

Answer 2

• Individuals who are more suited for their environment survive and the others die
• So genes promoting behaviors that enhance survival are more likely to be passed down from one generation to the next because they were able to mate and reproduce

Question 3

Disgust

Answer 3

Individuals who were more prone to feel disgust towards potential sources of contamination or illness were better equipped to avoid pathogens and diseases, and therefore survive to reproduce (so can be understood as a survival instinct)

Question 4

CT

Answer 4

• Pros/explanation: provides evidence to phobias to things such as germs, vomit, bodily fluids (because our ancestors believed it to be disease-salient and avoided it)
• Implication: helps explain why intergroup conflict occurs, xenophobia (feelings of disgust towards and discrimination against outgroups because of disease avoidance mechanisms, because they thought they had novel pathogens)
• Cons/validity: can’t control variable so no causation