natural selection

(noun)

A process by which heritable traits conferring survival and reproductive advantage to individuals tend to be passed on to succeeding generations and become more frequent in a population.

Related Terms

  • James theorized that behavior was driven by a number of survival instincts
  • fitness
  • prosocial
  • instinct
  • evolutionary biology
  • genotype
  • adaptation

(noun)

A process by which heritable traits conferring survival and reproductive advantage to individuals tend to be passed on to succeeding generations, therefore becoming more frequent in a population.

Related Terms

  • James theorized that behavior was driven by a number of survival instincts
  • fitness
  • prosocial
  • instinct
  • evolutionary biology
  • genotype
  • adaptation

(noun)

A process by which heritable traits conferring survival and reproductive advantage to individuals, or related individuals, tend to be passed on to succeeding generations and become more frequent in a population, whereas other less favorable traits tend to become eliminated.

Related Terms

  • James theorized that behavior was driven by a number of survival instincts
  • fitness
  • prosocial
  • instinct
  • evolutionary biology
  • genotype
  • adaptation

Examples of natural selection in the following topics:

  • Evolutionary Psychology

    • Evolutionary psychology seeks to understand human behavior as the result of psychological adaptation and natural selection.
    • It seeks to identify which human psychological traits are evolved adaptations—that is, the functional products of natural selection.
    • Evolutionary psychology stems from Charles Darwin's theories of evolution, adaptation, and natural selection.
    • The brain's adaptive mechanisms have been shaped over time by natural and sexual selection.
    • Charles Darwin's theory of natural selection has been highly influential in the field of evolutionary psychology.
  • Careers in Psychology

    • It focuses on the psychology of the workforce, including issues such as recruitment, selecting employees from an applicant pool, performance appraisal, job satisfaction, work behavior, stress at work, and management.
    • There are several subfields within the field I-O psychology: for instance, personnel psychology focuses on the selection and evaluation of workers, while organizational psychology examines the effects of work environment and management styles on worker motivation, job satisfaction, and productivity.
    • Evolutionary psychologists seek to identify which of these traits are evolved adaptions: in other words, how they are the functional products of natural selection or sexual selection.
  • Evolutionary Theory of Motivation

    • Naturally, the crying infant who signals distress will be more protected from the elements and other predatory environmental forces than the unattached infant.
    • Thus, a new behavior develops by means of natural selection.
  • Defining Personality

    • Uniqueness versus universality: Are individuals generally more alike (similar to each other) or different (unique) in nature?
    • Related to this, evolutionary theories explore how variation in individual personalities variance may be rooted in natural selection.
  • Goals of Psychology

    • For example, evolutionary psychologists ask the question – which human traits are evolved modifications of either natural or sexual selection?
    • This view sees human nature as a product of a universal set of psychological adjustments to problems arising in the environment.
  • Evaluating the Biological Perspective on Personality

    • For example, by identifying the cause of depression as a seratonin imbalance, selective seratonin reuptake inhibitors were found to be an effective treatment for this disorder.
    • This perspective focuses almost exclusively on the nature side of the nature-nurture debate - in other words, whether genetics (nature) or environment (nurture) are more influential in development.
  • Gene-Environment Correlations: Nature or Nurture?

    • In active gene-environment correlation, the person's genetic makeup may lead them to select particular environments.
    • In adoption studies, identical twins raised by different families can give insight into the nature-versus-nurture debate.
  • The Psychology of Recruiting and Selecting Employees

    • A major function of I–O psychologists is to design recruitment processes and personnel-selection systems.
    • Interviews are one of the most common ways that individuals are selected.
    • Another tool used for selection is personality testing.
    • Another selection technique is to have the applicant complete a hiring assignment.
    • Interviews are one of the most common methods of selection.
  • Coping with Stress

    • Personal choice in coping strategies is determined by personality traits and type, social context, and the nature of the stressor involved.
    • Coping ability and strategy selection vary depending on personality, gender, and culture.
    • The small amount of variation in coping-strategy selection shows that women will engage in more emotion-focused coping while men tend to use problem-focused strategies.
  • Selection

    • Emotional drives can also influence the selective attention humans pay to stimuli.
    • Selective perception: the tendency to perceive what you want to.
    • Selective exposure: you select what you want to expose yourself to based on your beliefs, values, and expectations.
    • Selective attention shows up across all ages.
    • Explain factors that influence selection, the first stage of the perception process
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