Undergraduate Course: Sociobiology (PSYL10031)
Course Outline
| School | School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences |
College | College of Humanities and Social Science |
| Course type | Standard |
Availability | Available to all students |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 10 (Year 4 Undergraduate) |
Credits | 10 |
| Home subject area | Psychology |
Other subject area | None |
| Course website |
None |
Taught in Gaelic? | No |
| Course description | Sociobiological thinking and methods have had an immense impact on recent work in behavioural biology. In psychology, sociobiological ideas are also being used by those claiming an evolutionary basis for human social behaviour; however, there is some important variation between these disciplines in the quality of the arguments and supporting evidence. There has been real debate in behavioural biology about competing explanations of phenomena (e.g. the 'good genes' vs. 'good sense' dispute over sexual selection) and this has already stimulated innovative empirical work on individual fitness. In human sociobiology and evolutionary psychology, comparable evidence is only gradually starting to appear. This course will survey the ideas, methods of investigation, and evidence in several major areas of sociobiology and compare and contrast human and animal work. |
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
Students MUST have passed:
Psychology Methodology 1 (PSYL10034)
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
| Additional Costs | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
| Displayed in Visiting Students Prospectus? | Yes |
Course Delivery Information
| Not being delivered |
Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes
By the end of this course you should be able:
- To evaluate and provide critiques of at least two cases in which ideas from animal sociobiology have been applied to the behaviour of human beings.
- To describe and explain the evolutionary consequences of mate choice by males and females, and show their relationship to fidelity / infidelity in apparently monogamous relationships.
- To explain how parental behaviour can be considered as an investment strategy, and illustrate this with reference to sex ratios.
- To list three mechanisms which might account for aid giving in animals, and describe how they could be tested. |
Assessment Information
| 100% exam |
Special Arrangements
| None |
Additional Information
| Academic description |
Not entered |
| Syllabus |
Not entered |
| Transferable skills |
Not entered |
| Reading list |
Not entered |
| Study Abroad |
Not entered |
| Study Pattern |
Not entered |
| Keywords | Sociobiology; mate choice; sex ratios; inclusive fitness; altruism; parental investment; evolution o |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Peter Caryl
Tel: (0131 6)50 3451
Email: P.G.Caryl@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Ms Fiona Graham
Tel: (0131 6)50 3440
Email: F.Graham@ed.ac.uk |
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