Inclusive Fitness does not Impact the Survival Processing Effect

Natural selection acts upon learning and memory processes, much as it does with other physical and behavioral characteristics. For example, numerous lines of inquiry using nonhuman species hypothesize adaptive specializations of Pavlovian conditioned responses and spatial memory. Comparatively less...

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Main Authors: Mark A. Krause, Shaina Trevino, Andrea Cripps, Katie Chilton, Emma Sower, John P. Taylor
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Animal Behavior and Cognition 2019-01-01
Series:Animal Behavior and Cognition
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.animalbehaviorandcognition.org/article.php?id=1165
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author Mark A. Krause
Shaina Trevino
Andrea Cripps
Katie Chilton
Emma Sower
John P. Taylor
author_facet Mark A. Krause
Shaina Trevino
Andrea Cripps
Katie Chilton
Emma Sower
John P. Taylor
author_sort Mark A. Krause
collection DOAJ
description Natural selection acts upon learning and memory processes, much as it does with other physical and behavioral characteristics. For example, numerous lines of inquiry using nonhuman species hypothesize adaptive specializations of Pavlovian conditioned responses and spatial memory. Comparatively less is known about the influence of evolution on learning and memory processes in humans, but the past decade has seen a growing interest in this area; particularly since the publication of Nairne, Thompson, and Pandeirada’s (2007) paper reporting the survival processing effect (SPE). The SPE describes a mnemonic advantage of considering one’s survival in an evolutionarily relevant scenario: Words encoded in such a scenario are better remembered than are words encoded in relation to survival irrelevant scenarios. Numerous publications inspired by Nairne et al.’s paper have subsequently attempted to describe the specific mechanisms, evolutionary and otherwise, that account for the SPE. In four experiments we tested whether manipulating levels of inclusive fitness in survival scenarios influences recall. In our scenarios we asked participants to consider the survival of kin, and other categories of social relationships (self, strangers, family, a famous person), in an evolutionarily relevant context. The basic SPE was replicated in three of the four experiments. However, although kin selection is an important evolutionary mechanism, it appears to be unrelated to the SPE in our sample.
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spelling doaj.art-b38f4e07cacc4d14abbad51f27f977bf2022-12-22T00:21:20ZengAnimal Behavior and CognitionAnimal Behavior and Cognition2372-50522372-43232019-01-0161133110.26451/abc.06.01.02.2019Inclusive Fitness does not Impact the Survival Processing EffectMark A. Krause Shaina Trevino Andrea Cripps Katie Chilton Emma Sower John P. Taylor Natural selection acts upon learning and memory processes, much as it does with other physical and behavioral characteristics. For example, numerous lines of inquiry using nonhuman species hypothesize adaptive specializations of Pavlovian conditioned responses and spatial memory. Comparatively less is known about the influence of evolution on learning and memory processes in humans, but the past decade has seen a growing interest in this area; particularly since the publication of Nairne, Thompson, and Pandeirada’s (2007) paper reporting the survival processing effect (SPE). The SPE describes a mnemonic advantage of considering one’s survival in an evolutionarily relevant scenario: Words encoded in such a scenario are better remembered than are words encoded in relation to survival irrelevant scenarios. Numerous publications inspired by Nairne et al.’s paper have subsequently attempted to describe the specific mechanisms, evolutionary and otherwise, that account for the SPE. In four experiments we tested whether manipulating levels of inclusive fitness in survival scenarios influences recall. In our scenarios we asked participants to consider the survival of kin, and other categories of social relationships (self, strangers, family, a famous person), in an evolutionarily relevant context. The basic SPE was replicated in three of the four experiments. However, although kin selection is an important evolutionary mechanism, it appears to be unrelated to the SPE in our sample.http://www.animalbehaviorandcognition.org/article.php?id=1165Survival processing effectKin selectionInclusive fitnessAdaptive memoryEvolution of learningEvolution of memory
spellingShingle Mark A. Krause
Shaina Trevino
Andrea Cripps
Katie Chilton
Emma Sower
John P. Taylor
Inclusive Fitness does not Impact the Survival Processing Effect
Animal Behavior and Cognition
Survival processing effect
Kin selection
Inclusive fitness
Adaptive memory
Evolution of learning
Evolution of memory
title Inclusive Fitness does not Impact the Survival Processing Effect
title_full Inclusive Fitness does not Impact the Survival Processing Effect
title_fullStr Inclusive Fitness does not Impact the Survival Processing Effect
title_full_unstemmed Inclusive Fitness does not Impact the Survival Processing Effect
title_short Inclusive Fitness does not Impact the Survival Processing Effect
title_sort inclusive fitness does not impact the survival processing effect
topic Survival processing effect
Kin selection
Inclusive fitness
Adaptive memory
Evolution of learning
Evolution of memory
url http://www.animalbehaviorandcognition.org/article.php?id=1165
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AT emmasower inclusivefitnessdoesnotimpactthesurvivalprocessingeffect
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