The document discusses the evolution of the human mind and behavior from different perspectives. It describes the Standard Social Science Model (SSSM) view that human behavior is shaped solely by culture and experience. In contrast, Evolutionary Psychology sees the mind as consisting of evolved adaptations and modules shaped by natural selection to solve survival and reproductive problems faced by human ancestors. Several examples are given of hypothesized psychological mechanisms and how they may have evolved, such as taste aversions helping avoid toxins, morning sickness reducing fetal exposure to toxins, and innate fears of snakes and spiders.

1. What is the ecology of the human mind?

6. Animal and human behavior are biological phenomena that have evolved. Ignorance of evolutionary theory can lead some psychologists to appear to view humans as having progressed to be above apes and other 'lower' animals on a 'scale of nature' or scala naturae . Animal behavior is controlled by their biology. Human behavior is determined by culture and experience. Animal behavior is more appropriately studied by biologists. Biology is a natural science. Biology is built upon the rock of evolutionary theory. Psychology is a branch of biology. Psychology is a social science. Social sciences are concerned with how culture and experience produce wide variation in human behavior. Therefore social sciences do not need to consider the role of evolution in the development of behavioral variability. According to EP: According to the SSSM:

19. Evolutionary Psychology To a first approximation: our modern skulls house a stone age mind.