Human Nature and Culture: What is the Human Mind Designed For? Roy F. Baumeister

Evolutionary Psychology: ***Similarities (between humans and animals) Cultural Psychology: ***Differences (among cultures)

Evolutionary Psychology: ***DIFFERENCES between humans and animals Cultural Psychology: ***SIMILARITIES among cultures

Focusing only on cultural differences underestimates the power and importance of culture.

Different cultures speak different languages… …but all cultures have language (and languages have much in common)

Different cultures cook different foods, in different styles… …but all cultures cook

Different cultures use different clothing styles, materials, and fashions… …but all cultures use clothing

Different cultures have different units of money… …but nearly all cultures use money (and other forms of exchange)

So…  Let’s think (also) about culture per se, and not just cultural difference, in order to understand human nature.

What is the Human Psyche Distinctively Designed to Do? Complex social systems …CULTURE

Brains: Costs and Benefits  Very costly organ, consumes many calories Human brain is 2% of body mass, consumes 20% of calories Human brain is 2% of body mass, consumes 20% of calories  Must therefore “pay for itself”  What benefits? Some kinds of food? Some kinds of food? Keeping track of territory? Keeping track of territory? Outsmarting predators? Outsmarting predators?

The “Social Brain”  Comparing different species of animals, Dunbar found that bigger brains went with bigger (and more complex) social networks  The brain is for understanding each other  The evolved purpose of the relatively giant human brain is for advanced social interaction Inner processes serve interpersonal functions Inner processes serve interpersonal functions

Culture is a better way of being social.

The Cultural Brain  Culture increases power of human brain  Brain may have evolved to “do” culture  Analogy to computers and internet

What is culture?  Learned behavior  Shared information  Transmission to the next generation  Beliefs  Practices (how to)  Guides for behaviors (norms, rules)

What is culture? An information-based system to allow people to live together in organized fashion and satisfy biological, social needs

Can culture shape biology?

Why Culture?  Humans developed culture as a new, better form of social life  So culture can do things that simpler social systems cannot  These things improve survival, reproduction Culture as biological strategy Culture as biological strategy Culture per se, not cultural differences Culture per se, not cultural differences  The human mind evolved to take advantage of these

Advantages of Culture 1. Language  Need a group (culture) for language  Improves communication  Improves sharing, storage of information  Improves thinking (manipulating information, rationality, morality)  Can think beyond the here and now All other animals just respond to their immediate stimulus environment All other animals just respond to their immediate stimulus environment

Advantages of Culture 2. Accumulation of Knowledge  Knowledge resides in the group  Passed on to new generations  Allows for PROGRESS

Advantages of Culture 3. Division of Labor  Different people perform different tasks  Allows for specialization, expertise  Everything gets done better, more efficiently

Advantages of Culture 4. Network of exchange  Marketplace, trade  Enables people to interact with strangers in ways that benefit both  Trade increases wealth  Life gets better overall

Advantages of Culture: ***Bottom Line  The whole is more than the sum of its parts  That difference (increase) improves survival, reproduction for members

Explaining the Psyche  Nature selected us for culture  Culture (though not cultural difference) is in our genes

Adaptations for Culture  Inner processes serve interpersonal functions! The main features of human psychology (cognition, motivation, emotion) are there to enable people to sustain this new & improved kind of social behavior: culture The main features of human psychology (cognition, motivation, emotion) are there to enable people to sustain this new & improved kind of social behavior: culture

Adaptations for Culture  “One of us” Theory of mind Theory of mind Joint attention tasksJoint attention tasks Shared assumptions for language, trade, etc.Shared assumptions for language, trade, etc. Empathy (promotes prosocial behavior)Empathy (promotes prosocial behavior) Need to belong Need to belong Participation in community Participation in community

Adaptations for Culture  Intelligent thought More & better information processing More & better information processing Not all-purpose reasoning machine Not all-purpose reasoning machine Understands hidden causes Understands hidden causes Detects cheaters, free riders Detects cheaters, free riders Solves problems without trial & error Solves problems without trial & error

Adaptations for Culture  Self Between animal and social group Between animal and social group Seeks acceptance by group Seeks acceptance by group Roles (identity, group tasks) Roles (identity, group tasks) Finding unique nicheFinding unique niche Public self-consciousness Public self-consciousness Connects biological organism to social group and cultural system Connects biological organism to social group and cultural system

Adaptations for Culture  Consciousness Purpose: brain’s inner cross-talk Purpose: brain’s inner cross-talk For processing social information For processing social information Simulating nonpresent realities Simulating nonpresent realities Decision makingDecision making Understanding othersUnderstanding others Simulating past, future eventsSimulating past, future events

Adaptations for Culture  Self-Control / Self-Regulation Overrides incipient responses Overrides incipient responses Can bring self, states, behaviors into line with group’s rules, standards Can bring self, states, behaviors into line with group’s rules, standards Can follow abstract rules made by far-off others Can follow abstract rules made by far-off others

Adaptations for Culture  Free will Self-control Self-control Override response to follow rulesOverride response to follow rules Rational, smart choices Rational, smart choices Enlightened self-interest amid cultureEnlightened self-interest amid culture Planned action Planned action Initiative Initiative Active instead of passive responderActive instead of passive responder

Nature Against Culture? The Case of Self-Interest  Nature made us selfish The “selfish gene” The “selfish gene”  Culture demands sacrifices from individuals Taxes Taxes War War Waiting your turn Waiting your turn Respecting property of others Respecting property of others Restrain sexual, aggressive impulses Restrain sexual, aggressive impulses

Too Positive a View?  Human culture has produced War War Pollution Pollution Genocide Genocide Social Inequality, Injustice Social Inequality, Injustice Disco Disco Economic Depressions Economic Depressions Global Warming Global Warming

But still…  Culture has advanced far beyond what natural selection created  Survival: Human life expectancy has nearly tripled  Reproduction: From one woman to 8 billion humans in 200,000 years

Conclusion Social…or cultural animal?  Humans are not the only, or even the most social of animals  Humans are the most cultural of animals and are the only ones who rely utterly on culture in most aspects of life

The End