Human Nature and Human Nature and Culture:Culture:

What is the Human What is the Human Mind Designed For?Mind Designed For?

Roy F. BaumeisterRoy F. Baumeister

Evolutionary Psychology:Evolutionary Psychology:

***Similarities (between humans and ***Similarities (between humans and animals)animals)

Cultural Psychology:Cultural Psychology:

***Differences (among cultures)

Evolutionary Psychology:Evolutionary Psychology:

******DIFFERENCES DIFFERENCES between humans and animalsbetween humans and animals

Cultural Psychology:Cultural Psychology:

***SIMILARITIES among cultures

Focusing Focusing onlyonly on on cultural differences cultural differences underestimates the underestimates the

power and importance power and importance of culture.of culture.

Different cultures speak Different cultures speak different languages…different languages…

……but all cultures have languagebut all cultures have language(and languages have much in common)(and languages have much in common)

Different cultures cook Different cultures cook different foods, in different different foods, in different

styles…styles…

……but all cultures cookbut all cultures cook

Different cultures use different Different cultures use different clothing styles, materials, and clothing styles, materials, and

fashions…fashions…

……but all cultures use clothingbut all cultures use clothing

Different cultures have Different cultures have different units of money…different units of money…

……but nearly all cultures use but nearly all cultures use money (and other forms of money (and other forms of exchange)exchange)

So…So…

Let’s think (also) about culture per se, and Let’s think (also) about culture per se, and not just cultural difference, in order to not just cultural difference, in order to understand human nature.understand human nature.

What is the Human What is the Human Psyche Distinctively Psyche Distinctively

Designed to Do?Designed to Do?

Complex social systemsComplex social systems

……CULTURECULTURE

Brains: Costs and BenefitsBrains: Costs and Benefits

Very costly organ, consumes many Very costly organ, consumes many caloriescalories Human brain is 2% of body mass, consumes Human brain is 2% of body mass, consumes

20% of calories20% of calories Must therefore “pay for itself”Must therefore “pay for itself” What benefits?What benefits?

Some kinds of food?Some kinds of food? Keeping track of territory?Keeping track of territory? Outsmarting predators?Outsmarting predators?

The “Social Brain”The “Social Brain” Comparing different species of animals, Comparing different species of animals,

Dunbar found that bigger brains went with Dunbar found that bigger brains went with bigger (and more complex) social networksbigger (and more complex) social networks

The brain is for understanding each otherThe brain is for understanding each other The evolved purpose of the relatively The evolved purpose of the relatively

giant human brain is for advanced social giant human brain is for advanced social interactioninteraction Inner processes serve interpersonal functionsInner processes serve interpersonal functions

Culture is a better Culture is a better way of being social.way of being social.

The Cultural BrainThe Cultural Brain

Culture increases power of human brainCulture increases power of human brain Brain may have evolved to “do” cultureBrain may have evolved to “do” culture Analogy to computers and internetAnalogy to computers and internet

What is culture?What is culture?

Learned behaviorLearned behavior Shared informationShared information Transmission to the next Transmission to the next

generationgeneration BeliefsBeliefs Practices (how to)Practices (how to) Guides for behaviors (norms, Guides for behaviors (norms,

rules)rules)

What is culture?What is culture?

An information-based system to An information-based system to allow people to live together in allow people to live together in organized fashion and satisfy organized fashion and satisfy biological, social needsbiological, social needs

Can culture shape Can culture shape biology?biology?

Why Culture?Why Culture?

Humans developed culture as a new, Humans developed culture as a new, better form of social lifebetter form of social life

So culture can do things that simpler So culture can do things that simpler social systems cannotsocial systems cannot

These things improve survival, These things improve survival, reproductionreproduction Culture as biological strategyCulture as biological strategy Culture per se, not cultural differencesCulture per se, not cultural differences

The human mind evolved to take The human mind evolved to take advantage of theseadvantage of these

Advantages of CultureAdvantages of Culture1. Language1. Language

Need a group (culture) for languageNeed a group (culture) for language Improves communicationImproves communication Improves sharing, storage of informationImproves sharing, storage of information Improves thinking (manipulating Improves thinking (manipulating

information, rationality, morality)information, rationality, morality) Can think beyond the here and nowCan think beyond the here and now

All other animals just respond to their All other animals just respond to their immediate stimulus environmentimmediate stimulus environment

Advantages of CultureAdvantages of Culture2. Accumulation of 2. Accumulation of

KnowledgeKnowledge Knowledge resides in the groupKnowledge resides in the group Passed on to new generationsPassed on to new generations Allows for PROGRESSAllows for PROGRESS

Advantages of CultureAdvantages of Culture3. Division of Labor3. Division of Labor

Different people perform different tasksDifferent people perform different tasks Allows for specialization, expertiseAllows for specialization, expertise Everything gets done better, more Everything gets done better, more

efficientlyefficiently

Advantages of CultureAdvantages of Culture4. Network of exchange4. Network of exchange

Marketplace, tradeMarketplace, trade Enables people to interact with strangers Enables people to interact with strangers

in ways that benefit bothin ways that benefit both Trade increases wealthTrade increases wealth Life gets better overallLife gets better overall

Advantages of Culture:Advantages of Culture:******Bottom LineBottom Line

The whole is more than the The whole is more than the sum of its partssum of its parts

That difference (increase) That difference (increase) improves survival, improves survival, reproduction for membersreproduction for members

Explaining the Psyche

Nature selected us for Nature selected us for cultureculture

Culture (though not Culture (though not cultural difference) is cultural difference) is in our genesin our genes

Adaptations for Culture

Inner processes serve Inner processes serve interpersonal functions!interpersonal functions! The main features of human The main features of human

psychology (cognition, psychology (cognition, motivation, emotion) are there motivation, emotion) are there to enable people to sustain this to enable people to sustain this new & improved kind of social new & improved kind of social behavior: culturebehavior: culture

Adaptations for Culture

““One of us”One of us” Theory of mindTheory of mind

•Joint attention tasksJoint attention tasks•Shared assumptions for language, Shared assumptions for language, trade, etc.trade, etc.

•Empathy (promotes prosocial Empathy (promotes prosocial behavior)behavior)

Need to belongNeed to belong Participation in communityParticipation in community

Adaptations for Culture

Intelligent thoughtIntelligent thought More & better information More & better information

processingprocessing Not all-purpose reasoning machineNot all-purpose reasoning machine Understands hidden causesUnderstands hidden causes Detects cheaters, free ridersDetects cheaters, free riders Solves problems without trial & Solves problems without trial &

errorerror

Adaptations for Culture

SelfSelf Between animal and social groupBetween animal and social group Seeks acceptance by groupSeeks acceptance by group Roles (identity, group tasks)Roles (identity, group tasks)

•Finding unique nicheFinding unique niche Public self-consciousnessPublic self-consciousness Connects biological organism to Connects biological organism to

social group and cultural systemsocial group and cultural system

Adaptations for Culture

ConsciousnessConsciousness Purpose: brain’s inner cross-talkPurpose: brain’s inner cross-talk For processing social informationFor processing social information Simulating nonpresent realitiesSimulating nonpresent realities

•Decision makingDecision making•Understanding othersUnderstanding others•Simulating past, future eventsSimulating past, future events

Adaptations for Culture

Self-Control / Self-Self-Control / Self-RegulationRegulation Overrides incipient responsesOverrides incipient responses Can bring self, states, Can bring self, states,

behaviors into line with behaviors into line with group’s rules, standardsgroup’s rules, standards

Can follow abstract rules Can follow abstract rules made by far-off othersmade by far-off others

Adaptations for Culture

Free willFree will Self-controlSelf-control

•Override response to follow rulesOverride response to follow rules Rational, smart choicesRational, smart choices

•Enlightened self-interest amid Enlightened self-interest amid cultureculture

Planned actionPlanned action Initiative Initiative

•Active instead of passive responderActive instead of passive responder

Nature Nature AgainstAgainst Culture? Culture?The Case of Self-InterestThe Case of Self-Interest

Nature made us selfishNature made us selfish The “selfish gene”The “selfish gene”

Culture demands sacrifices from individualsCulture demands sacrifices from individuals TaxesTaxes WarWar Waiting your turnWaiting your turn Respecting property of othersRespecting property of others Restrain sexual, aggressive impulsesRestrain sexual, aggressive impulses

Too Positive a View?Too Positive a View?

Human culture has producedHuman culture has produced WarWar PollutionPollution GenocideGenocide Social Inequality, InjusticeSocial Inequality, Injustice DiscoDisco Economic DepressionsEconomic Depressions Global WarmingGlobal Warming

But still…But still…

Culture has advanced far beyond what Culture has advanced far beyond what natural selection creatednatural selection created

Survival: Human life expectancy has nearly Survival: Human life expectancy has nearly tripledtripled

Reproduction: From one woman to 8 billion Reproduction: From one woman to 8 billion humans in 200,000 yearshumans in 200,000 years

ConclusionConclusionSocial…or cultural animal?Social…or cultural animal?

Humans Humans are notare not the only, or even the most the only, or even the most social of animalssocial of animals

Humans Humans areare the most cultural of animals and the most cultural of animals and are the only ones who rely utterly on culture are the only ones who rely utterly on culture in most aspects of lifein most aspects of life

The EndThe End