The Importance of Human Evolution Essay: a Review of Different Approaches

Evolution is the change in the heritable traits of biological populations over successive generations. In importance of human evolution essay this topic is discussed. Evolutionary psychology is a theoretical approach which seeks to identify which human psychological traits are evolved adaptations; the functional products of natural selection or sexual selection in human evolution. This approach contrasts the empiricist position, which emphasises the importance of observation and learning during childhood in determining our outcome behaviours. Through the critical evaluation of evidence form different psychological perspectives this essay aims to explore both the nativist and empiricist approach to address the essay title.

The nativist approach of psychology assumes that our characteristics as a human species are a product of our evolution, and that individual difference is due to each person's unique genetic code. Paramount to evolution is the concept that as humans we possess innate abilities in order to increase our chances of survival. Bowlby's attachment theory describes how children have innate behaviours, such as crying when hungry, in order to ensure they receive nourishment from their caregiver and thus survive. Likewise, Haidt and Joseph's Moral foundations theory proposes several innate and universally available psychological foundations, of “intuitive ethics”, which have developed to aid humanity in solving the adaptive challenges in our evolutionary past. Haidt and Joseph suggest that each culture then constructs virtues, narratives and institutions on top of these foundations, creating the variation we see in what is considered moral cross-culturally. They propose that there are five innate moral foundations, which are: Careharm: This foundation is related to our long evolution as mammals with attachment systems and an ability to feel the pain of others. It underlies virtues of kindness, gentleness and nurturance. Fairnesscheating: This foundation is linked to the evolutionary process of reciprocal altruism, and generates ideas of justice, rights and autonomy. Loyaltybetrayal: This foundation is associated with our long history as tribal creatures able to form shifting coalitions and motivates virtues of patriotism and self-sacrifice for the group. Authoritysubversion: This foundation is shaped by our long primate history of hierarchical social interactions, and denotes qualities of leadership and followership, including deference to legitimate authority and respect for traditions. Lastly, Sanctitydegradation: This foundation is shaped by the psychology of disgust and contamination. The theory portrays that humans possess an inbuilt repertoire of morals that are moulded by the particular social and cultural context they are in, which ultimately shape us as human beings. Even though the theory illustrates how instinctive moral foundations guide us as a species, the theory reduces the morality of humanity to being determined by simply evolved innate factors. Due to the approaches reductionist stance other potential influencing causes may be being overlooked which contribute to overall person.

By contrast, the empiricist position focuses on how we are products of our learnt behaviours during development, through both observation and experience. This concept is in is supported by Bandura's Social Learning Theory, which describes how children learn social behaviors, such as aggression through the process of observation; evidencing how the individual is a product of their learnt experience. Bandura famously demonstrated his theory in the Bobo doll experiment. The laboratory experiment entailed child participants watching an adult modelling aggressive behaviour towards a bobo doll. The results revealed how when the child participants were presented with a Bobo doll they in turn mimicked the modelled aggressive behavior. Although the experiment established how learnt experiences can affect an individual's outcome behaviours, the study lacked ecological validity; as modelling which took place was artificial because it was between a stranger and child, which is not reflective of an everyday interactions. Similarly, operant conditioning, a type of associative learning, was established by Skinner; and although initially developed on rats and pigeons, it is has now be replicated using human participants; and is beneficial in demonstrating human behaviour is a product of the immediate learning environment. Skinner's initial investigation involved the use of a Skinner Box, the box included a chamber equipped with a food hopper and a lever. Skinner would place a rat into the box observed how the rat learnt to press the lever in order to be presented with food. Skinner termed this phenomena positive reinforcement, as the rat learnt to associate the pressing of the lever with the presentation of food, thus increasing the frequency of that behaviour occurring. Conversely, the rat's behaviour might be followed by an unpleasant consequence, a loud noise for example, and then the likelihood of that behaviour reoccurring will be less. This is an example of punishment. Another form of associative learning demonstrated by Skinner is 'negative reinforcement'. This is where responding an increase when it results in the removal of an unpleasant stimulus makes the increases the likelihood of that behaviour reoccurring, e.g. taking paracetamol to cure a headache. Here the reduction in pain reinforces taking the drug so it is more likely that next time you have a headache you will take paracetamol to ease it. Demonstrating how our learnt associations determine the outcome of human behaviour. Nonetheless, the use of animal research in operant conditioning studies also raises the issue of extrapolation. Some psychologists argue we cannot generalize from studies on animals to humans as their anatomy and physiology is different from humans.

Overall, research indicates that there are numerous contributing factors which determine our outcomes as human beings. The nativist approach depicts how innate abilities, such as moral foundations, mold us as a species. In contrast, the empiricist approach describes how learnt behaviours, through observation and association, can determine our behaviour. Correspondingly, both the empiricist and nativist approach reduce the individual to being the product of a singular component factor. Conclusively, a transactional approach, between both positions, would be far more beneficial in describing what determines us as human beings.