The evolutionary approach believes that human intelligence evolved due to the demands of the environment creating pressure for increased intelligence. Larger brains may have evolved to allow individuals to cope with the demands of social living. However having a large brain involves costs-larger brains use a higher proportion of an individual energy. Humans use 22% of their energy sustaining the brain compared with only 8% of chimpanzees.
According to Kliniwoska, if brain size equated to intelligence than the whale which has an average brain weight of 9kg compared to the average human brain weight of 1. 3kg, would be 5 times cleverer than humans. Brain is needed to control bodily functions, so a large body necessitates a large brain. Whales weigh on average 37 tonnes and humans 0. 07. Therefore, having a large brain does not correlate with higher levels of intelligent. This suggests that, if we assume that humans are more intelligence, we need to consider the EQ size (the weight of the brain relative to the body.
McDaniel conducted a meta-analysis providing support for the idea that intelligent people have larger brains. He used 1530 people from 37 samples and found a positive correlation between brain size and intelligence. However, Sassaman and Zartler (1982) studied children with abnormality small brains: 40% were not retarded, suggesting that brain size does not reflect intelligence. This can also reflect animals, as crows show intelligent tool use, planning and cognitive flexibility, but have small brains.
The Essay on The evolution of human intelligence
... brain hypothesis, when hominids started living in large groups, selection favored greater intelligence. As evidence, Dunbar cites a relationship between neocortex size and group size ... 2 million span the history of actual human species (the Paleolithic). Many traits of human intelligence, such as empathy, theory of mind, mourning, ...
Evolutionary explanations of human intelligence are reductionist, as they reduce complex behaviours to one explanation of adaptiveness and therefore do not consider other important factors, like cultural influences. Also, Explanations of human intelligence based on evolutionary theory can be argued to be deterministic in that they see intelligence as caused by past environments coded into humans in the form of innate genetic structures. Therefore, the approach sees no role for free will through other psychological influences.
Explanations based on social complexity argue that the complexity faced by our ancestors led to the evolution of a large brain. The social theory of intelligence suggests that our ancestors developed intelligence further by building upon pre-existing primate intellectual abilities to develop skills of social cognition. Hogan says that the need to be in a social group with others is important in the survival of the human species.
The concept of Machiavellian intelligence (Whiten and Byrne) suggests that the evolution of uman intellect was primarily driven by selection for social expertise within groups where the most challenging problem faced by early humans was dealing with their companions. Once an individual develops the motivation to deceive others for personal gain he is at an advantage over his mates. This led to the development of memory as individuals need to recall how others behave in situations and how they themselves responded, in order to maintain deception.
Dunbar suggest that the size of the brain is related to the size of the social group a species is part of, and he called it the social brain hypothesis. However Ridley argues that neither ecological nor social theory stands up on its own as an explanation for the evolution of human intelligence. He suggests that sexual selection explains human intelligence as it includes both ecological and social theories. Humans who were more intelligent were successful at attracting mates as they were able to eliminate the competition.
The Essay on Social Activism Change Gandhi Theory
Social Theory Group Project: Activism While researching this topic, I wanted to include at least one theory as how activism should be conducted as well as the concepts underlying activism itself. With this in mind, I would like to start with Mohandas K. Gandhi. In India's struggle for home rule, Gandhi utilized the concept of Satyagraha (ST p. 261). This means to use truth and love to fight ...
