This post shall talk about Darwinian ideas of evolution and how evolutionary psychology has programmed us into behaving as we do. The primary topic discussed is sexuality and evolutionary basis of sexual rituals.
If we have to sum up Darwin's ideas in 10 words , they are "Multiply ,vary, let the strongest live and the weakest die." Here strongest refers to the best adapted organism, whether through brains, brawn, camouflage or anything else that facilitates reproduction and survival.
Darwin's views on sexual psychology can be gleaned from this quote, " The female , with the rarest exception, is less eager than the male , She is coy, and may often be seen endeavouring for a long time to escape from the male.The exertion of some choice on the part of the female seems almost as general a law as the eagerness of the male. "
The understanding of this trend is based on the concept of parental investment.Parental investment refers to any investment by a parent in the offspring that increases its chances of survival. Parental investment includes the time and energy consumed in producing a sperm or an egg,achieving fertilization ,gestating or incubating the egg and rearing the offspring. Almost universally there is an imbalance in female and male parental investment. For the male,it is in his evolutionary interest to harbour an aggressive willingness to mate with as many females as possible as he has much less of an investment. For the female, whose investment is much higher, it is in her genetic interest ,to accept the burden of reproduction ,only when the circumstances seem propitious. Since unusually fit males tended to have unusually fit offspring , it is in her interest to be able to pick the fittest male. So natural selection creates a " skilled salesmanship among the males and an equally well-developed sales-resistance and discrimination among females".
What do females want? In species, where the male parental investment is very low,the basic dynamic of courtship is quite simple: the male really wants sex, the female isn't so sure.She inspects the male for his gene-quality unconsciously, and then may want a pre-copulation offering.This nuptial offering,technically constitutes a tiny male parental investment, since it nourishes her and her eggs. For instance, the female hanging fly insists on having a dead insect to eat during sex.If she finishes before the male is finished,she may head off in search of another meal,leaving him high and dry.If she isn't so quick, the male may repossess the leftovers for subsequent dates. Of course , there are instances ,where the post-coital parental investment from the male is his own head. The female preying mantis frequently eats the male partner after he has performed his job, that of fertilizing her eggs,thus providing "extra nourishment" for the family line. The really alpha-males in the preying mantis have legendary instances of fertilizing more than one female before finally being eaten!
But in species where there is high male parental investment, the female is concerned not only with the male's genetic investment , but with what he'll bring to the offspring after it materializes.And that explains, why in all cultures, women place more emphasis than males on a potential mate's financial prospects.
What do men want ? It is misleading to say that males in a high-male-parental-investment species are selective about mates, but in theory they are "selectively" selective. On the one hand,males will have sex with just about anything that moves,given an easy chance, like males in a low-MPI-species.On the other hand, when it comes to finding a female for a long-term joint venture,discretion makes sense,males can undertake only so many ventures in one lifetime,so the genes that the partner brings to the project- genes for robustness,brains,beauty etc.,are worth scrutinizing.
The distinction was nicely elucidated by a study in which both men and women were asked about the minimal level of intelligence they would accept in a person they were "dating".The average response for both male and female, was:average intelligence.They were also asked how smart a person would have to be before they would consent to sexual relations.The women said:"Oh, in that case, markedly above average." The men said "Well, markedly below average".
This shall conclude this post. The next post on this topic shall talk about marriage and related cultural practices from an evolutionary standpoint.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Message to readers : Future posts
Apart from the intermittent China news posts , the next few posts in this blog will be about the following 3 subjects :
1. China : An account of its Economic Miracle .
2. Evolutionary Psychology : Why we are what we are ?
3. Cognitive Psychology : How our brain works ?
I will be posting soon . So watch out and stay connected .
Cheers and adios !
1. China : An account of its Economic Miracle .
2. Evolutionary Psychology : Why we are what we are ?
3. Cognitive Psychology : How our brain works ?
I will be posting soon . So watch out and stay connected .
Cheers and adios !
Saturday, January 15, 2011
China news digest 5.
Here's what is making news in China --
1. Wen Jiabao has stressed the need for technological developments and scientific research which would be the cornerstone of the nation's future. This was at a function where 2 of China's greatest scientists were awarded for their lifetime contribution.
2. China's senior experts Saturday called on local governments to shift their focus from gross domestic product (GDP) figures to economic restructuring and the raising of ordinary people's living standards.Reducing environmental problems and boosting energy efficiency also slows GDP growth pace, said Wang, citing pressure on China to keep its annual energy consumption below four billion tonnes of standard coal in 2020.
An economy that grows too fast is difficult to transform, especially when the growth is driven by investment, Wang said.
3. China hopes stability in Tunisia is restored as early as possible, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said Saturday.
Hong made the remarks when responding to a question concerning recent unrest and upheaval in the North African nation.
"Tunisia is China's friend. China is concerned with what is happening in Tunisia and hopes stability in the country is restored as early as possible," said Hong, adding that a stable society is in the fundamental interests of the country's people.
4. Property taxes, seen as a silver bullet to curb excessive growth in China's housing prices, triggered an intense debate among economists and industry analysts recently, with some saying it may not help tame soaring prices but rather, increase costs for home buyers.Rigid demand for housing has remained robust in China because of accelerating urbanization and industrialization. Every year, between 10 million and 15 million rural residents migrate to cities, and this trend may be continued for the next decade, experts forecast.Both the influx of populations and property speculation have pushed up China's housing prices, prompting the government to roll out measures to control the runaway market, including increasing down payment requirements, suspension of mortgage loans for third-home purchases and, more importantly, pledging to speed trials of a property tax that might be rolled out nationwide.
5. The successful test flight of J-20, China's new-generation fighter, on Jan 10 is a significant achievement for the country, especially for its defense industry. It is a symbolic leap in the country's military modernization drive, too.
Yet there is no reason for China to be excessively conceited or complacent. It should not forget the huge gap between it and Western developed countries, led by the United States, in terms of military armament and weaponry. More importantly, it should remain highly vigilant against the possibility of some countries using the J-20 fighter as an excuse to stoke a new round of "China threat" frenzy.The peaceful development path that China has chosen and its defensive national defense policy pose no threat to any country. It is normal for any country to try and upgrade its military and weaponry to safeguard its national security.
China develops and produces weapons and military equipment for self-defense. It has the right to safeguard its sovereignty, security and territorial integrity. And there is no reason for other countries or regions to feel threatened.
Chinese leaders have on innumerous occasions made it clear that China is opposed to hegemony and military expansion, and it will under no circumstances be part of or trigger an arms race.
1. Wen Jiabao has stressed the need for technological developments and scientific research which would be the cornerstone of the nation's future. This was at a function where 2 of China's greatest scientists were awarded for their lifetime contribution.
2. China's senior experts Saturday called on local governments to shift their focus from gross domestic product (GDP) figures to economic restructuring and the raising of ordinary people's living standards.Reducing environmental problems and boosting energy efficiency also slows GDP growth pace, said Wang, citing pressure on China to keep its annual energy consumption below four billion tonnes of standard coal in 2020.
An economy that grows too fast is difficult to transform, especially when the growth is driven by investment, Wang said.
3. China hopes stability in Tunisia is restored as early as possible, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said Saturday.
Hong made the remarks when responding to a question concerning recent unrest and upheaval in the North African nation.
"Tunisia is China's friend. China is concerned with what is happening in Tunisia and hopes stability in the country is restored as early as possible," said Hong, adding that a stable society is in the fundamental interests of the country's people.
4. Property taxes, seen as a silver bullet to curb excessive growth in China's housing prices, triggered an intense debate among economists and industry analysts recently, with some saying it may not help tame soaring prices but rather, increase costs for home buyers.Rigid demand for housing has remained robust in China because of accelerating urbanization and industrialization. Every year, between 10 million and 15 million rural residents migrate to cities, and this trend may be continued for the next decade, experts forecast.Both the influx of populations and property speculation have pushed up China's housing prices, prompting the government to roll out measures to control the runaway market, including increasing down payment requirements, suspension of mortgage loans for third-home purchases and, more importantly, pledging to speed trials of a property tax that might be rolled out nationwide.
5. The successful test flight of J-20, China's new-generation fighter, on Jan 10 is a significant achievement for the country, especially for its defense industry. It is a symbolic leap in the country's military modernization drive, too.
Yet there is no reason for China to be excessively conceited or complacent. It should not forget the huge gap between it and Western developed countries, led by the United States, in terms of military armament and weaponry. More importantly, it should remain highly vigilant against the possibility of some countries using the J-20 fighter as an excuse to stoke a new round of "China threat" frenzy.The peaceful development path that China has chosen and its defensive national defense policy pose no threat to any country. It is normal for any country to try and upgrade its military and weaponry to safeguard its national security.
China develops and produces weapons and military equipment for self-defense. It has the right to safeguard its sovereignty, security and territorial integrity. And there is no reason for other countries or regions to feel threatened.
Chinese leaders have on innumerous occasions made it clear that China is opposed to hegemony and military expansion, and it will under no circumstances be part of or trigger an arms race.
Monday, January 10, 2011
China News Digest 4
Here's what made news today :
1. China opposes US military sales to Taiwan. It also said that China's military advancement is not directed against any specific country.
2. China and Britain ink $ 4 billion worth of trade deals. This is on the backdrop of similar deals with Germany and Spain.
3. A survey revealed that Chinese students consider Confucius, Traditional Chinese medicine and Mao Zedong to represent China's culture most effectively.
4.Chinese policymakers are looking for new laws to curb pollution.
5.Unemployment is a serious concern for Chinese youth in 2011.
1. China opposes US military sales to Taiwan. It also said that China's military advancement is not directed against any specific country.
2. China and Britain ink $ 4 billion worth of trade deals. This is on the backdrop of similar deals with Germany and Spain.
3. A survey revealed that Chinese students consider Confucius, Traditional Chinese medicine and Mao Zedong to represent China's culture most effectively.
4.Chinese policymakers are looking for new laws to curb pollution.
5.Unemployment is a serious concern for Chinese youth in 2011.
Saturday, January 8, 2011
China News Digest 3
This will be a micro-post :
1. China inks 8.7 Billion dollar deal with Germany .
2. DPRK proposes talks with ROK.
3. China land sales up by 70% .. could lead to social unrest among the poor.
4. Filial piety as law . Proposed amendment makes it mandatory for children to visit the elderly parents. ( got to love the Party )
5. Chinese vice president calls for closer ties with Mauritius.
6. Moderate earthquake hits N.E.China city .
That's it .
1. China inks 8.7 Billion dollar deal with Germany .
2. DPRK proposes talks with ROK.
3. China land sales up by 70% .. could lead to social unrest among the poor.
4. Filial piety as law . Proposed amendment makes it mandatory for children to visit the elderly parents. ( got to love the Party )
5. Chinese vice president calls for closer ties with Mauritius.
6. Moderate earthquake hits N.E.China city .
That's it .
The Dialectical Evolution of Psychology
Psychological thinking ,through the ages , has evolved through a dialectical progression - thesis , antithesis and finally synthesis . In this post ,I shall chart the gradual development of modern psychological theories.
The first major debate between Western philosophers was between Aristotle's "Empiricism" and Plato's "Rationalism" . According to Aristotle , reality lies only in the concrete world of objects that our bodies sense and thus research methods must base themselves on concrete objects and actions on those objects. Plato considered reality to reside not in concrete objects but in the abstract forms that these objects represent. According to Plato , the body and the mind are interactive and interdependent but are essentially different , with the mind being superior. We reach truth , not via our senses , but via our thoughts.
This debate endured through the middle ages in Europe and led to Descartes' dualism , which was the dominant idea for a long time. The last 200 years have seen a proliferation of various schools of psychological thought . I list the major ones below :
1. Structuralism : The emphasis was on understanding the mind by analyzing its component or constituent structures. This theory relied on simple classificatory principles. It could not explain complex thought .
2. Functionalism : The focus was now on the analysis of mental operations and the practical use of consciousness. Functionalists and Structuralists differed on the fundamental questions they asked. Structuralists would ask "What are the elementary structures of the human mind ?" whereas Functionalists would question " What do people do , and why ?"
3. Behaviourism : This focussed on the study of observable emitted behaviour in response to stimulus.Behaviourists viewed psychology as an objective natural science and their goal was the prediction and control of behaviour. They considered the mind and consciousness as improper subjects for scientific study.
The behaviourist taboo on the mind was epitomized by a seductive argument by B.F.Skinner which is called the " Theoritican's Dilemma " . It goes like this :
" Suppose that there are mental states that intervene between a stimulus in the external worldand a subsequent response .Then there are two possibilities -- either they intervene in a lawful way or they do not. If they are lawful , theoriticians can ignore themand formulate a law directly relating stimulus to behaviour .If they are not lawful , then theoriticians must obviously not refer to them. Either way , in framing psychological laws there is no need to refer to mental states. They are either unnecessary or unmentionable. "
The argument is flawed on two basic assumptions . The first is that the sole purpose of science is to frame laws. Science aims to explain phenomena and not just codify them into laws . Explainations can take the form of theories. Hence , if mental states exist ,a complete psychological explaination should give an account of them even if they are not included in the laws. The second false assumption is that psychology should concern itself solely from the sequence of stimulus to overt response.There are many mental processes that do not arise from stimuus or do not lead to overt response .( for instance perception )
There is a joke about behaviourism that highlights the limitation of this school of thought -- " After having sex , one Behaviourist asks his female counterpart " That was fine for you , but how was it for me ? " ".
4. Gestaltism : According to this theory , we best understand psychological phenomena when we view them as organized , structured wholes , not when we break them down into pieces because the whole differs from the sum of the parts .Both Behaviourists and
Gestaltists experimented on animals and theorized from the findings.
The contrast between Behaviourism and Gestalt psychology led Bertrand Russell to remark that the animals tended to display the national characteristics of experimenters:
" Animals studied by Americans rush about frantically, with an incredible display of hustle and pep , and at last achieve the desired solution by chance. Animals observed by Germans sit still and think , and at last evolve the solution out of their inner consciousness ."
Current psychological theories focus on Cognitive Science , which will be the topic of future posts .
Till then , adios .
The first major debate between Western philosophers was between Aristotle's "Empiricism" and Plato's "Rationalism" . According to Aristotle , reality lies only in the concrete world of objects that our bodies sense and thus research methods must base themselves on concrete objects and actions on those objects. Plato considered reality to reside not in concrete objects but in the abstract forms that these objects represent. According to Plato , the body and the mind are interactive and interdependent but are essentially different , with the mind being superior. We reach truth , not via our senses , but via our thoughts.
This debate endured through the middle ages in Europe and led to Descartes' dualism , which was the dominant idea for a long time. The last 200 years have seen a proliferation of various schools of psychological thought . I list the major ones below :
1. Structuralism : The emphasis was on understanding the mind by analyzing its component or constituent structures. This theory relied on simple classificatory principles. It could not explain complex thought .
2. Functionalism : The focus was now on the analysis of mental operations and the practical use of consciousness. Functionalists and Structuralists differed on the fundamental questions they asked. Structuralists would ask "What are the elementary structures of the human mind ?" whereas Functionalists would question " What do people do , and why ?"
3. Behaviourism : This focussed on the study of observable emitted behaviour in response to stimulus.Behaviourists viewed psychology as an objective natural science and their goal was the prediction and control of behaviour. They considered the mind and consciousness as improper subjects for scientific study.
The behaviourist taboo on the mind was epitomized by a seductive argument by B.F.Skinner which is called the " Theoritican's Dilemma " . It goes like this :
" Suppose that there are mental states that intervene between a stimulus in the external worldand a subsequent response .Then there are two possibilities -- either they intervene in a lawful way or they do not. If they are lawful , theoriticians can ignore themand formulate a law directly relating stimulus to behaviour .If they are not lawful , then theoriticians must obviously not refer to them. Either way , in framing psychological laws there is no need to refer to mental states. They are either unnecessary or unmentionable. "
The argument is flawed on two basic assumptions . The first is that the sole purpose of science is to frame laws. Science aims to explain phenomena and not just codify them into laws . Explainations can take the form of theories. Hence , if mental states exist ,a complete psychological explaination should give an account of them even if they are not included in the laws. The second false assumption is that psychology should concern itself solely from the sequence of stimulus to overt response.There are many mental processes that do not arise from stimuus or do not lead to overt response .( for instance perception )
There is a joke about behaviourism that highlights the limitation of this school of thought -- " After having sex , one Behaviourist asks his female counterpart " That was fine for you , but how was it for me ? " ".
4. Gestaltism : According to this theory , we best understand psychological phenomena when we view them as organized , structured wholes , not when we break them down into pieces because the whole differs from the sum of the parts .Both Behaviourists and
Gestaltists experimented on animals and theorized from the findings.
The contrast between Behaviourism and Gestalt psychology led Bertrand Russell to remark that the animals tended to display the national characteristics of experimenters:
" Animals studied by Americans rush about frantically, with an incredible display of hustle and pep , and at last achieve the desired solution by chance. Animals observed by Germans sit still and think , and at last evolve the solution out of their inner consciousness ."
Current psychological theories focus on Cognitive Science , which will be the topic of future posts .
Till then , adios .
Friday, January 7, 2011
China News Digest II
Today's news roundup is as follows --
1. Chinese reports suggest that economic health of the country is being hurt by smoking. Lost productivity from smoking-related health problems will hamper China's economic growth, and related costs incurred by smoking far exceed the tobacco industry's contribution in terms of profits and jobs it generates.
The report highlighted a conflict of interest concerning the State monopoly over the tobacco industry.
The State Tobacco Monopoly Administration is under the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the agency in charge of the government-initiated tobacco control campaign. This setup allows the tobacco industry to use the government's authority to promote tobacco production and sales, impede adoption and implementation of tobacco control policies and laws, and publicly conduct activities undermining FCTC implementation, such as marketing tobacco brands in the name of charity, said the report.
2. Chinese foreign ministry has quashed speculation by Japanese media and said that it follows a " NO-FIRST-NUKE-POLICY".
3. A senior Chinese publicity official has urged building a better image of the country on the world stage this year and strengthening friendly relationships with foreign countries.
4. Chinese President will pay a State visit to the US from 18th-21st January on invitation from the US president.
5. The income gap is widening among different industries in Shanghai, while the proportion between residents' income and the city's GDP is declining, a survey has found.
The survey, conducted by the Shanghai Committee of the China Democratic League, one of the country's eight democratic parties (wow , 8 "democratic" parties ,i would never have guessed !), said people who work in the city's highest-paying industries earn an average of 6.4 times of those who toil in sectors with meager salaries, the local Oriental Morning Post reported on Wednesday.
And a majority of the city's residents, or about 68 percent of its working population, is employed in the lowest-paying sectors, including manufacturing, construction, catering and retail, the report said.
This concludes today's post.
1. Chinese reports suggest that economic health of the country is being hurt by smoking. Lost productivity from smoking-related health problems will hamper China's economic growth, and related costs incurred by smoking far exceed the tobacco industry's contribution in terms of profits and jobs it generates.
The report highlighted a conflict of interest concerning the State monopoly over the tobacco industry.
The State Tobacco Monopoly Administration is under the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the agency in charge of the government-initiated tobacco control campaign. This setup allows the tobacco industry to use the government's authority to promote tobacco production and sales, impede adoption and implementation of tobacco control policies and laws, and publicly conduct activities undermining FCTC implementation, such as marketing tobacco brands in the name of charity, said the report.
2. Chinese foreign ministry has quashed speculation by Japanese media and said that it follows a " NO-FIRST-NUKE-POLICY".
3. A senior Chinese publicity official has urged building a better image of the country on the world stage this year and strengthening friendly relationships with foreign countries.
4. Chinese President will pay a State visit to the US from 18th-21st January on invitation from the US president.
5. The income gap is widening among different industries in Shanghai, while the proportion between residents' income and the city's GDP is declining, a survey has found.
The survey, conducted by the Shanghai Committee of the China Democratic League, one of the country's eight democratic parties (wow , 8 "democratic" parties ,i would never have guessed !), said people who work in the city's highest-paying industries earn an average of 6.4 times of those who toil in sectors with meager salaries, the local Oriental Morning Post reported on Wednesday.
And a majority of the city's residents, or about 68 percent of its working population, is employed in the lowest-paying sectors, including manufacturing, construction, catering and retail, the report said.
This concludes today's post.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)