Natural Selection and Adaptive Behavior in Biological Beginnings

Question: What are your thoughts on Natural Selection and Adaptive Behavior, and give an example from a psychological perspective.


Answer: Natural selection is an evolutionary process favoring individuals of a species best adapted to survive or reproduce.

Adaptive behavior promotes organism’s survival in natural habitat
Example: Parent with greater fitness are more likely to have a fit child.

Further Thought:
Why do you think that parents with greater fitness are more likely to have a fit child? What are the thought/developmental processes of the parents in this example?

Response Two: Natural selection is the process in which the fittest can survive and reproduce. Adaptive behavior is the behavior that strengthens the survival of the “fittest” in the habitat. Though it may be still arguably, humans do have a greater capability in processing information due to larger brain size, large frontal cortex and more convolutions. This most dominant psychological characteristic makes humans surmount other animals in the nature.

Response Three:
Natural Selection and Adaptive Behaviour is an example of this. Darwin noted that most species could reproduce at rates that would cause enormous increases in the population, but many of the young don't survive. The bottom line is, the best-adapted individuals survive to leave the most offspring. All organisms must adapt to particular places, climates, food sources, and ways of life, if they want to survive.

Wondering if ACOA's (adult children of alcoholic's) could apply here. There are many issues that an ACOA need to deal with and either they work through their issues associated with having an alcoholic parent or suffer the consequences. The consequences can be that they too become substance abusers themselves, and so the cycle continues.

Response Three: Natural selection is the principle stating that any characteristics that provide a survival or reproductive advantage are more favored and thus more likely to be passed on to subsequent generations.

It is interesting that evolutionary theorists claims that Big Five Personality traits (extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, openness to experience, neuroticism) stand out as major dimensions of personality across different cultures prove that the process of natural selection is at play in shaping personality.

According to evolutionary theorists, in the history of evolution the survival of human beings depends heavily on groups, which provide protection for predators, and opportunity for sharing resources. In the context of group, certain personality traits are preferred over others because they are more conducive to survival - contributing to the emergence of Big Give personality traits as major dimensions of personality across different cultures. Our ancestors in the effort to become valued member of a group, their personlity adapt accordingly. It is important to be a good team player (agreeableness), dependable and ethical (conscientiousness), flexible and open to new ideas in order to survive in hostile environment (openness to experience), resilient to stress (low neuroticism) and able to connect with others (extraversion).

It is interesting to note that the Big Five personality traits did not only benefit our ancestors in terms of improving chances of survival in natural habitats, but they are also more conducive to the psychological well-being of people in modern day societies, whether collective or individualistic, these personality traits are highly valued.