What do evolutionary theory and evolutionary psychology have to say about morality?
Why are we primates a social species for example? Do evolutionary theory and evolutionary psychology satisfactorily account for human altruism? If so, how has it been shown?
Why does an orangutans face look like that?
Drawing from a few sources I read and my own knowledge...The striking cheek pads and throat pouch (yes, it is a pouch rather than just a flap) http://www.google.com/imgres?hl=en&biw=1... are only seen in the dominant, mature males, called flanged males, usually 15 - 20 years old. Younger, unflanged subordinate males, though still otherwise sexually mature adults, do not have them. There are 2 mating strategies utilised by the males. Unflanged males wander widely in search of receptive females and upon finding one, will force copulation on her. Flanged males use their pronounced throat pouch as a resonating chamber to attract receptive females with their characteristic long, loud calls. Although both strategies are successful, the females do have a preference for flanged males and his strategy. It is not so difficult to see why she would, aside from perhaps preferring to mate by consent ! Such a phenomenon is clearly an example of sexual selection; a set of characteristics and behaviours employed by the males (more often) of a species to attract females or usurp other males. The cheek pads and throat pouch are probably physically appealing to her, making him seem large and impressive. Further, it seems a safe hypothesis to suggest that as flanged males do not show these features until later in life, it is a clear indication of his ability to survive and thrive. In other words, an advertisement of a healthy and strong reproductive partner, precisely what a female would like. By the way, there is another feature shown in flanged males; very long fur http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Orangu... another sexually selected characteristic. All 3; cheek pads, throat pouch and long fur seem to be connected with increased testosterone production. Also, the very presence of the dominant, flanged males seems to suppress the developement of the same features on the other males.
What are some psychological facts about attracting people?
If you want someone to listen to you, start the conversation with ‘ I shouldn't be telling you this'.Women are more influenced by how a man smells than how he looks… Men choose your fragrance nicely.Making eye contact with a complete stranger could promote attraction and intimacy.Mimicry is a sign of attraction.Within 5 seconds of meeting someone, you can make a lasting impression in following order.How you lookHow you soundThe words you sayWe tend to have more attraction to those whose feeling are uncertained to us.To tell if a person is interested in a conversation, cross your arms. If they do the same they are interested.If you repeatedly criticize someone for liking something you don't, they won't stop liking it. They'll stop liking you.Presence of beautiful woman ignites stupid behavior in men.The key to confidence is walking into a room and assuming everyone likes you.A person usually makes a lot of hand gesture while telling a true story. When telling a lie the person hands are noticeable stillSometimes best way to get someone's attention is to stop giving them yoursThe unconscious mind can process the trustworthiness of a face quicker than you can blink. These spontaneous judgement happen beyond our conscious control and they help us distinguish friend from foe.When a man spots a woman he finds attractive he hold his stare for an average of 8.2 seconds.
Are non-humans capable of learning language?
You are talking sentience, which appears to be a trait unique to us human beings. For THAT, I think animals do NOT learn language. I think animals simulate learning by using a conditioned response. I do not think they are doing creative thinking in the same manner as you and I which is what constitutes sentience. I think the researchers looking at sign language are on the right track, but I still think the learning is a conditioned response. In my opinion, animals and sign language is the most advanced at being sentient through conditioned responses. The machine that won the Jeopardy game that made the news recently is NOT smart or intelligent. All it IS, is a dedicated search engine that sifts a huge quantity of raw data looking for keywords. It just does it really FAST which is why it appears "smart". It is completely, 100%, programmed and given the same set of input data, will always come up with the same set of output data, UNTIL, the search database is expanded to include more raw data. Appearances ARE deceiving. Chimpanzee are NOT children no matter how much sign language they appear to have "learned", yet people tend to humanize them, which clouds their thinking into being less than objective.
Do the great apes (chimps, bonobos, orangutans and gorillas) have some sense of shame/embarrassment in their mentality and cognition?
That is a very good question. I have often wondered about that myself.Recently I read a report about a woman who worked extensively with lab chimps. She reported that once a chimp who she was on very good terms with became agitated and bit down on one of her fingers. Then, weeks later when the chimp saw that the end of her finger was missing, he seemed to be “ashamed” and “embarrassed”. I put those words in quotes because we may never know for sure since they cannot talk.Given all the other human like emotions that higher primates appear to express, it is does not seem so strange that some sense of regret or shame would be part of the consciousness. They are, after all, our closest cousins in the primate family, especially the Bonobo chimps.
If we took a baby chimp and raised it and treated it as a normal human being, what would happen?
Chimps when they are young are irresistibly cute. But they aren’t so cute when they reach five or six years of age. Consider Travis, an adolescent chimp that somehow got into a Xanax prescription. (It’s a bizarre story and one of the allegations is that his owner wanted to see Travis on Xanax) Travis bit the hands off of his owner and was so out of control that police had to shoot him four times.The chimp was not only violent, but smart. He knew that the car was a tool with which to escape and he grabbed the keys before running out to the parking lot. Things were a little unclear at the time but it seemed like he saw a police officer and opened the officer’s door.It was terribly sad. A chimp is a wild animal. They are sophisticated and have a high level of thinking. But on the evolutionary tree, they didn’t develop. Their brains were able to solve problems, but they didn’t seem to be able to work out abstract emotions. A study done at the University of Texas in 2012 suggested that Chimpanzees couldn’t get beyond their ‘impulse’ control.Everything about the study was to uncover why chimpanzees were never anything more than circus or TV Commercial acts. Blessed with a wonderful sense of curiosity, they are hyper-active and in need of constant attention. If you were to insist on having a pet-primate, I would suggest a female mountain gorilla like KoKo. This docile and sweet gorilla has learned 4000 words and phrases and communicates effectively enough to tell you her own history. (Inter-Species communication is fascinating)I would also suggest a Bonobo, but make sure you have him/her fixed first because these primates are unbelievable sexual creatures. But they have also proven to be highly sophisticated and one in particular has been taught how to make a fire from scratch. (Just google that and you will see!)Orangutans and also docile but they are highly dependent and are often part of the illegal pet trade. As youngsters, few animals are more cute than a baby orangutan. But their cuteness leaves them as they get older. Of all the primates, it is said that orangutans smell the worst as well.
How much does a person's physical characteristics mold their personality?
Just so you understand a bit more, this question came to my mind while channel surfing, seeing 'pro wrestlers' and wondering how much of THEIR personality was a factor of their body type -- and if anyone who had that type of body would have a similar personality. And are we actually who we PROJECT ourselves to be -- but that is another question, I guess.
What reference from Psych is this from?
Based on the rest of the conversation, they were referring to the Rat Pack (Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Peter Lawford and Joey Bishop) Chief Vick: All right, Mr. Spencer, let me be frank. Shawn: As long as I can be Dean and Gus can be Sammy. Gus: Why do I have to be Sammy? Shawn: Fine. He's Sammy. That makes you Joey Bishop. Is that what you really want? You wanna be Joey Bishop?