1. Ethology

2. Ethology: study of the evolutionary significance of behaviors of a species in its natural surroundings.
Sociobiology: genetic basis of human social behavior
Evolutionary Psychology: origins of cognition in our species adaptation to the environment

3. Orientation to the Components of Ethology
Species-Specific Innate Behavior
Within species are the same, inherited, and adaptive (e.g., reflexes, fixed action patterns)
Evolutionary Perspective
Concentration is on Pyhologenetic change (species level) over Ontogenetic (individual)
Learning Predispostions
Critical or sensitive periods, imprinting
Ethological methodology
Naturalistic Observation and lab experiments

4. Human Relevant Contributions of the Theory
Infant-Caretaker Attachment (6-9 months)
Bowlby
Grasping, embracing, crying, babbling, smiling, facial imitation all facilitate attachment/bonding and survival.
Ainsworth
Secure “emotional” base.
Charlesworth
Social, physical, and informational “blocks”

5. Strengths and Weaknesses
Contribution to our understanding of attachment, social dominance, and some aspects of children’s problem solving
Broad in scope, provides much in the way of hypothesis building
Weaknesses:
More descriptive than explanatory. Difficult to carry out controlled experiments.
Appeal to “sensitive and critical” periods raises the homunculus problem.

6. Evolutionary Psychologists at Work An Interview with Steven Pinkert