Biological Issues, Reaction Paper Example

Biological Issues: Does evolutionary Psychology Explain Human sex differences? Reaction/Essay Assignment

Evolutionary psychology (EP) offers a scientific approach towards interpreting psychological traits inclusive of perception; memory and language from a modern evolutionary paradigm.  More importantly, the science aims at identifying human psychological characteristics, which have evolved as adaptations from functional products related to natural or sexual selection. When adaptationists’ perceptions are applied to the science there is a tendency to focus on the psychological interventions responsible for human organ designs and functions. This includes explorations into how psychology influences the immune system, heart, lungs formations and functions (Confer, Easton, Fleischman, Goetz, Lewis, Perilloux, Buss, 2010).

Precisely, this adaptationists thinking has a more biological basis and arguments have been that there is difficulty to accurately transfering these ideologies from evolutional biology to evolutional psychology (Orzack & Sober, 2001). They continue to argue that the adaptation is possible because as the body the human mind contains modular structures similar to the body serving diverse functions. The major difference between body organs and mind is that no one can open the human body and locate the mind. Sure enough the brain could be found. However, if someone has a brain it does not mean that a mind is contained in it (Gallagher, 2001).

From this premise of mind not being brain neither a body organ, my contention is that evolutionary Psychology cannot explain human sex differences from a biological premise. Perhaps it could explain the phenomenon from a social perspective whereby a male human learns to playb male roles through symbolic interaction; socialization. However, when it comes to explaining reasons for a man being born with a penis/testicles and a woman vagina/uterus evolutionary psychology cannot adequately explain the emergence (Oikkonen, 2013).

References

Confer, J. Easton, J. Fleischman, D. Goetz, C.  Lewis, D. Perilloux, C. Buss, D. (2010). Evolutionary Psychology: Controversies, Questions, Prospects, and Limitations. American Psychologist 65 (2): 110–26

Gallagher, S. (2001). The practice of mind: Theory, Simulation, or Interaction? Journal of Consciousness Studies, 8, 83-107.

Oikkonen, V. (2013). Gender, Sexuality and Reproduction in Evolutionary Narratives. London: Routledge

Orzack, S., &  Sober, E.(2001). Adaptationism and Optimality. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.