Overview
This lecture continues the topic of emotions, focusing on the evolution, development, and social aspects of emotional bonds in humans and animals, as well as the role of cooperation, cheating, and culture in social behavior.
Smiles in Humans and Nonhuman Primates
- Humans have various types of smiles (e.g., greeting, Duchenne).
- Nonhuman primates mainly use appeasement ("coy") smiles, not for greetings or happiness.
Parental and Offspring Attachment
- Species like humans invest in fewer offspring with strong parental bonds.
- Parental care is an evolutionary adaptation to ensure survival of shared genes.
- Attachment is not based on a critical moment but develops over time with the closest caregiver.
- "Cupboard Theory" posits attachment forms because mothers provide food (operant conditioning).
- Bowlby’s theory: infants are drawn to caregivers for comfort/social contact and fear strangers.
- Harlow’s monkey studies: infants prefer cuddly "cloth mothers" over wire mothers that provide food.
- Total deprivation of attachment leads to severe social and emotional dysfunction, sometimes reversible with later social contact.
Effects of Deprivation and the "Middle Ground"
- Severe lack of attachment causes major developmental issues.
- Moderate lack of affection shows unclear or minimal effects; extreme cases are most harmful.
Social Bonds Beyond Kin: Altruism and Cheating
- Animals, including humans, show cooperation and altruism toward non-relatives.
- Reciprocal altruism explains cooperation: favors are expected to be returned.
- Cheaters (free-riders) threaten cooperative systems.
- Cheater detection and punishment are necessary for stable cooperation.
Game Theory and Social Behavior
- Prisoner’s Dilemma demonstrates tension between personal gain and mutual benefit.
- Best personal strategy is to defect, but mutual cooperation yields better outcomes for all.
- Iterated games (repeated play) favor "Tit-for-Tat": start with cooperation, then copy the partner’s last move.
- Emotions may have evolved to regulate cooperation, punishment, and forgiveness.
Fairness, Rationality, and Social Games
- Ultimatum Game: people often reject unfair offers, even at personal cost, showing preference for fairness over pure rationality.
- Some degree of irrationality (e.g., having a temper) can be advantageous because it deters exploitation.
Cultures of Honor and Emotional Responses
- "Culture of honor" societies develop reputations for retaliation due to lack of legal protection and valuable resources.
- American South is an example; Southerners show more pronounced responses to insults.
- Cultural variations influence emotional expression and response, especially around honor and aggression.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Appeasement Smile — A smile used to signal submission or "don't hurt me" intention.
- Cupboard Theory — The idea that attachment forms because caregivers provide food.
- Reciprocal Altruism — Mutual exchange of beneficial acts with expectation of future return.
- Free-rider — An individual who benefits from others’ efforts without reciprocating.
- Prisoner’s Dilemma — A scenario where rational self-interest leads to worse outcomes than cooperation.
- Tit-for-Tat — A strategy: cooperate initially, then mimic the other’s previous action.
- Ultimatum Game — An economic game where one player proposes a split of money and the other can accept or reject it.
- Culture of Honor — Societies where reputation for retaliation and honor are emphasized due to weak legal systems.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Complete the reading response related to D'Arcy Thompson’s quote, “everything is the way it is because it got that way.”
- Prepare for the upcoming exam on Wednesday.