Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of figures
- List of tables
- List of contributors
- Introduction
- PART 1 Setting the stage
- PART 2 Explanation of cross-cultural differences
- PART 3 Methods for studying culture
- PART 4 The role of development
- 11 Cross-cultural research in the cultural-historical activity theory tradition
- 12 Self, family and culture: what is common, what changes?
- 13 Biology, culture and development: conceptual and methodological considerations
- 14 Differences and universals in families across cultures
- 15 An epigenetic view on culture: what evolutionary developmental psychology has to offer for cross-cultural psychology
- PART 5 Concepts of culture
- PART 6 Conclusion
- Index
- References
15 - An epigenetic view on culture: what evolutionary developmental psychology has to offer for cross-cultural psychology
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 June 2012
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of figures
- List of tables
- List of contributors
- Introduction
- PART 1 Setting the stage
- PART 2 Explanation of cross-cultural differences
- PART 3 Methods for studying culture
- PART 4 The role of development
- 11 Cross-cultural research in the cultural-historical activity theory tradition
- 12 Self, family and culture: what is common, what changes?
- 13 Biology, culture and development: conceptual and methodological considerations
- 14 Differences and universals in families across cultures
- 15 An epigenetic view on culture: what evolutionary developmental psychology has to offer for cross-cultural psychology
- PART 5 Concepts of culture
- PART 6 Conclusion
- Index
- References
Summary
The aim of this chapter is twofold: (a) After an introduction into evolutionary developmental psychology and the heuristic advantages of an evolutionary perspective, (b) some recent empirical evidence that supports the importance of childhood context will be presented.
In the first part, two basic heuristic tools of evolutionary theory will be introduced: First, the distinction of proximate and distal (or ultimate) causes helps not only to describe psychological phenomena (the proximate how question), but also to explain why they became the way they are (the ultimate why question). Second, dismissing the simplistic dichotomy of biology and culture, the epigenetic relationship of genes and environment will be described by applying the concept of open genetic programmes. This helps in getting a more accurate idea of the intricate interactions of our genetic endowment with the environment. The first part concludes with an empirical demonstration of how an evolutionary perspective can resolve causal circularities in psychological concepts by adding a historical perspective with an example why inhibitory control seems to be a prerequisite for the development of mentalistic understanding.
The second part first argues why from an evolutionary perspective childhood experiences are important to explain adult behaviour. The remaining part of the chapter presents empirical evidence for this claim from diverse psychological domains like implicit parenting motivation, autobiographical memory and social values.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Fundamental Questions in Cross-Cultural Psychology , pp. 376 - 404Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2011
References
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