DISCUSSION POST

CLASSMATE POST 1

Much of our behavior is typical of the species yet individually different, even unique. Choose a specific form of one behavior, such as blinking, eating, or speaking, that probably evolved biologically but varies in different people. Suggest an explanation for its constancy in the species and its variability among individuals.

Human behavioral evolution involves genetic and ecological inheritance, pressures inherent to natural selection, and niche construction activities that lead to different choices in subsequent decision-making activity (Brown, et al., 2011). Human behavior has evolved to respond to peer pressure. Humans place more value on winning in a social setting than it does on winning when alone (University of, 2011). The striatum, which is a part of the brain associated with rewards shows more activity when a person wins in a crowd than when he wins alone. The brain detects social signals, evaluates signal salience, and uses these signals in future behavior optimization. So, the next time your buddy says, “Hey man hold my beer and watch this!” Remember, he is not just being stupid, his brain is hard wired to engage in more risky and competitive behavior when in a crowd.

2. When we say that behavior is inherited, we mean that the behavior is influenced by our genes. How do our genes and the environment interact to guide behavior?

Genes influence physiology and morphology to create a framework. This framework serves as an outer bound within which the environment acts to influence behavior of individuals. Individual frameworks based on genetics allow for the different reactions from the same environmental cues.

Brown, G. R., Dickins, T. E., Sear, R., & Laland, K. N. (2011). Evolutionary accounts of human behavioural diversity.

University of Southern California. (2011, September 11). Peer pressure? It's hardwired into our brains, study finds. ScienceDaily. Retrieved August 24, 2021 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110906164312.htm

POST 2

Eating is a necessity across all of our species and that every other species. Yet, how and what we eat is unique and is a behavior that biologically varies across our species. The way we eat and what we eat can give our body sustenance, can change the way we interact with food and the way we look. Depending where you are located geographically the food that is available to you can be greatly different as well. For example a family living on a farm in Idaho may typically have a diet of chicken and potatoes while a family living in Japan may have a diet that consist typically of rice and fish. Eating behaviors develop quickly and from a young age (Gahagan,2012). An individuals relationship with food has a lot to do with their surroundings. This can lead to either healthy eating habits or eating disorders depending on the individuals upbringing with eating. Having these experiences early on in life that change the markers of our genes can have a powerful impact on a persons physical and mental health (Gene-environment interaction: Epigenetics and child development 2019). Our environment plays a huge factor in our inherited behavior. Gahahan (2012) notes that infancy to school age is when we develop the most inherited behavior. During this time we are constantly learning and developing with our surroundings. These experiences leave a chemical signature that will determine how the gene is expressed (Gene-environment interaction: Epigenetics and child development 2019). Depending on our upbringing will help to shape how we behave. This also depends on how we as a person experience this event. Every individual is unique so even in the same upbringing we will not all develop the same behavioral traits. Your emotions and the way you experience also help to shape it. 

Gahagan, S. (2012, April). Development of eating behavior: Biology and context. Journal of developmental and behavioral pediatrics : JDBP.  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3426439/.

Gene-environment interaction. (2019, February 27). Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University.  https://developingchild.harvard.edu/science/deep-dives/gene-environment-interaction/   

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