This course examines the application of evolutionary theory to understand human behaviour.

It provides a primer on the basic principles related to the evolution of behaviour, and surveys the various frameworks that have been employed by anthropologists, psychologists, biologists, and others in this pursuit. The strengths and weaknesses of these frameworks—which include human behavioural ecology, evolutionary psychology, and various cultural evolutionary approaches—are addressed in a critical manner with the aim of establishing an integrated approach that borrows the best from each. A wide range of case studies will be used to illustrate the application of these principles. Topics include conflict and cooperation, foraging and resource use, mating and parenting, life history and fertility, and the individual in society. Some attention will be paid to the history of the evolutionary study of human behaviour, including the nature-nurture debate and the “sociobiology controversy.”

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

Upon Successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

1. Master basic principles related to the evolution of behavior, and the various frameworks used to study the evolution of human behavior.
   
2. Discuss the history and controversies in the development of an evolutionary approach to the study of human behavior.
   
3. Prepare and develop a critical perspective on an independent study topic related to the evolution of human behavior.
   
4. Explain a topic or argument in the field orally using a selective case study approach.
   
5. Interpret material from a range of scholarly sources relevant to a topic or argument in the field, balancing general argument and evidence.

Research-Led Teaching

The assessments for this class include an independent research project, using a cross-cultural dataset to test hypotheses about human behaviour. You will propose a research problem and submit a polished research report. In addition, the lecturer will provide examples of his own research in lecture.

Recommended Resources

READINGS

About the Readings:

The schedule for readings the course’s required readings is listed above in the Course Schedule. You should read the week’s readings prior to attending class that week. Each of these readings is available for free on the course Wattle page. You may print one copy and save one copy to your computer or other device. You may not distribute them or use them for other purposes.

You are also required to independently acquire and read articles to serve as references for your Term Paper. You should start that process as soon as possible. See the Research Report Guide for more information.

Bibliography of Required Readings:

• Al-Shawaf L, Zreik K, Buss DM (2018). Thirteen misunderstandings about natural selection. In Shackelford T, Weekes-Shackelford (eds.), Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science. NY: Springer.
• Alvard MS (1998). Evolutionary ecology and resource conservation. Evolutionary Anthropology, 7, 62-74.
• Bateson P, Laland K (2013). Tinbergen's four questions: an appreciation and an update. Trends In Ecology & Evolution, 28(12), 712-718.
• Benyshek DC, Watson JT (2006). Exploring the thrifty genotype's food-shortage assumptions: A cross-cultural comparison of ethnographic accounts of food security among foraging and agricultural societies. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 131(1), 120-126.
• Bourrat P, Atkinson QD, Dunbar RIM (2011). Supernatural punishment and individual social compliance across cultures. Religion, Brain & Behavior, 1(2), 119-134.
• Boyd R, Richerson PJ (2009). Culture and the evolution of human cooperation. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 364, 3281-8.
• Cronk L (1999). Gethenian nature, human nature, and the nature of reproduction: A fantastic flight through ethnographic hypterspace. In Cooke B, Turner F (eds.), Biopoetics: Evolutionary explorations of the arts (pp. 205-218). Lexington, KY: ICUS.
• Davies N, Krebs J, West S (2012). An introduction to behavioural ecology (4E). NY: Blackwell. Chapter 2 “Testing Evolutionary Hypotheses” (pp. 24-51).
• Ember CR, Ember M, Korotayev A, de Munck V (2005). Valuing thinness or fatness in women: Reevaluating the effect of resource scarcity. Evolution and Human Behavior, 26(3), 257-270.
• Henrich K, McElreath R (2003). The evolution of cultural evolution. Evolutionary Anthropology, 12, 123-135.
• Kushnick G, Hanowell B, Kim JH, Langstieh B, Magnano V, Oláh K (2015). Experimental evidence for convergent evolution of maternal care heuristics in industrialized and small-scale populations. Royal Society Open Science, 2, 140518.
• Laland K, Brown G (2011). Sense and nonsense (2E). Oxford: Oxford University Press. Chapter 2 “A history of evolution and human behaviour” (pp. 19-48).
• Layton R (2010). Why social scientists don’t like Darwin and what can be done about it. Journal of Evolutionary Psychology, 8(2), 139-152.
• Low BS (1990). Marriage systems and pathogen stress in human societies. American Zoologist, 30, 325-339.
• Mesoudi A, Chang L, Dall SRX, Thornton A (2016). The evolution of individual and cultural variation in social learning. Trends In Ecology & Evolution, 31(3), 215-225.
• Nettle D (2010). Dying young and living fast: variation in life history across English neighborhoods. Behavioral Ecology, 21(2), 387-395.
• Puts DA (2010). Beauty and the beast: Mechanisms of sexual selection in humans. Evolution and Human Behavior, 31(3), 157-175.
• Quinlan RJ, Quinlan MB (2007). Evolutionary ecology of human pair-bonds: Cross-cultural tests of alternative hypotheses. Cross-Cultural Research, 41(2), 149-169.
• Ridley M (2004) Evolution (4E). Oxford: Blackwell. Chapter 4 “Natural selection and variation” (pp. 71-94).
• Sear R, Lawson DW, Kaplan H, Shenk MK (2016). Understanding variation in human fertility: what can we learn from evolutionary demography? Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 371(1692), 20150144.
• Smith EA (2000). Three styles in the evolutionary analysis of human behavior. In Cronk L, Irons W (eds.), Human behavior and adaptation: an anthropological perspective (pp. 27-46). Hawthorne, NY: Aldine de Gruyter.
• Venkataraman VV, Kraft TS, Dominy NJ, Endicott KM (2017). Hunter-gatherer residential mobility and the marginal value of rainforest patches. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 114(12), 3097-3102.
• West SA, Griffin AS, Gardner A (2007). Evolutionary explanations for cooperation. Current Biology, 17, R661-R672.
• White DR (2007). Standard Cross-Cultural Sample. In International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences (2E, pp. 88-95). NY: Macmillan Reference.

Staff Feedback

Students will be given feedback in the following forms in this course:

• Group feedback and marks on Exams 1 and 2.
• Group feedback on tutorial activities.
• Individualized written comments on Problem Statement, Presentation, and Research Report delivered via Turnitin.
• Individualized verbal feedback during regularly scheduled office hours (optional).

Student Feedback

ANU is committed to the demonstration of educational excellence and regularly seeks feedback from students. Students are encouraged to offer feedback directly to their Course Convener or through their College and Course representatives (if applicable). The feedback given in these surveys is anonymous and provides the Colleges, University Education Committee and Academic Board with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement. The Surveys and Evaluation website provides more information on student surveys at ANU and reports on the feedback provided on ANU courses.

Other Information

Laptops and tablets are appropriate for in-class use, except during quizzes and as long as you are using them for a purpose related to the course and you are not distracting others around you. Please do not use them to engage with social media (such as Facebook, Twitter, etc), check up on personal email, or to look at pictures, movies, or video clips. Even if you are able to follow the course lectures etc while doing this, you will distract others in class.

Phones are not appropriate for in-class use. I understand that there is some overlap in functionality with tablets (which are allowed) but phones are not. Please turn them off and put them away during class. If you are expecting an important call, turn it on vibrate and put it in your pocket. You are welcome to quietly leave class and answer it if necessary.  

Class Schedule

Week/Session	Summary of Activities	Assessment
1	Introduction Readings Cronk 1999; Layton 2010
2	Diverse Approaches Readings Bateson & Laland 2013; Smith 2000
3	History of the Study of Evolution and Human Behaviour Readings Laland & Brown 2011; White 2007
4	Adaptation and Natural Selection Readings Al-Shawaf et al 2018; Davies 2012; Ridley 2004	Problem Statement
5	Dual Inheritance Theory (Culture) Readings Henrich & McElreath 2003; Mesoudi et al 2016; Quinlan & Quinlan 2007
6	First-Half Synthesis Readings Cartwright 2016 (Ch 4 & 14)	Exam 1
7	Case Studies in Theory Readings None
8	Foraging and Resources Readings Alvard 1998; Benyshek & Watson 2006; Venkataraman et al 2017	Presentations
9	Mating and Parenting Readings Kushnick et al 2015; Low 1990; Puts 2010	Presentations
10	Life History and Fertility Readings Ember et al 2005; Nettle 2010; Sear et al 2016
11	Cooperation, Conflict, and Kinship Readings ?Bourrat et al 2011; Boyd & Richerson 2009; West et al 2007
12	Second-Half Synthesis Readings None	Exam 2

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Due Date	Return of assessment	Learning Outcomes
Exam 1	20 %	02/04/2019	16/04/2019	1, 2
Exam 2	20 %	28/05/2019	12/06/2019	1, 2
Participation	10 %	05/03/2019	03/06/2019	1
Problem Statement (Term Paper)	10 %	20/03/2019	03/04/2019	3, 4
Presentation (Term Paper)	10 %	30/04/2019	13/05/2019	3, 4
Research Report (Term Paper)	30 %	03/06/2019	17/06/2019	3, 4

* If the Due Date and Return of Assessment date are blank, see the Assessment Tab for specific Assessment Task details

Policies

ANU has educational policies, procedures and guidelines, which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University’s academic standards, and implement them. Students are expected to have read the Academic Misconduct Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:

• Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure
• Special Assessment Consideration Policy and General Information 
• Student Surveys and Evaluations
• Deferred Examinations
• Student Complaint Resolution Policy and Procedure

Assessment Requirements

The ANU is using Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website. Students may choose not to submit assessment items through Turnitin. In this instance you will be required to submit, alongside the assessment item itself, hard copies of all references included in the assessment item.

Moderation of Assessment

Marks that are allocated during Semester are to be considered provisional until formalised by the College examiners meeting at the end of each Semester. If appropriate, some moderation of marks might be applied prior to final results being released.

Participation

Participation is included as an assessment item (more details above).

Examination(s)

Examinations are included as assessment items (more details above).

Assessment Task 1

Exam 1

Each exam will be mixed format, including multiple choice, true/false, matching, fill in the blanks, and short answer. You may be required to write a few sentences to answer a question, but there will be no full-blown essay questions.

The material on the exams is not cumulative. The first exam covers material from lectures, tutorials, and readings in the first half of class. The second exam covers material from lectures, tutorials, and readings in the second half of class. With that said, the material from the second half builds on the material from the first half, so it is important to understand the first half material to do well on the second exam.

Each exam will be marked out of 100 converted to 20% of your course grade for each exam (40% total). Your marks on the exam will be determined by the number of questions you get correct.

Assessment Task 2

Exam 2

Each exam will be mixed format, including multiple choice, true/false, matching, fill in the blanks, and short answer. You may be required to write a few sentences to answer a question, but there will be no full-blown essay questions.

The material on the exams is not cumulative. The first exam covers material from lectures, tutorials, and readings in the first half of class. The second exam covers material from lectures, tutorials, and readings in the second half of class. With that said, the material from the second half builds on the material from the first half, so it is important to understand the first half material to do well on the second exam.

Each exam will be marked out of 100 converted to 20% of your course grade for each exam (40% total). Your marks on the exam will be determined by the number of questions you get correct.

Assessment Task 3

Participation

Your participation will be based on your participation in our weekly tutorials. At the end of each tutorial, you will turn in a deliverable (e.g., an activity sheet) for assessment. On presentation days, you will have the opportunity to earn participation points for being an attentive and active member of the audience.

Each participation day will be worth 2 points, marked as follows:

·        Good effort to participate in a quality way (2 pts)

·        You could have put in a better effort to participate (1 pt)

·        You didn’t participate (0 pts)

Your total marks will then be converted to 10% of the course grade.

Assessment Task 4

Problem Statement (Term Paper)

You will develop and write a term paper, in the form of a 3000-word research report, based on your testing of an evolutionary-based hypothesis or set of hypotheses about human behaviour using the Standard Cross-Cultural Sample (SCCS).

We will work together via lectures, tutorials, and readings to develop the skills necessary to do this project, but you will work independently to develop and test your hypotheses, and write a report on your investigation. The report will be in IMRD format, i.e. it will include separate sections for the introduction, methods, results and discussion. You will get feedback on your formative progress in the shaping the project in the Problem Statement and Presentation.

Overall, the term paper is worth 50% of your grade, broken down as follows:

·        Problem Statement (due W 20 March by 5 pm via Turnitin) – 10%

·        Presentation (due T 30 April or T 6 May in Tutorial) – 10%

·        Research Report (due M 3 June by 5 pm via Turnitin) – 30%

A ‘Research Report Guide’ will be posted to the course website. It will include more detailed information about each of the items above.

Assessment Task 5

Presentation (Term Paper)

You will develop and write a term paper, in the form of a 3000-word research report, based on your testing of an evolutionary-based hypothesis or set of hypotheses about human behaviour using the Standard Cross-Cultural Sample (SCCS).

We will work together via lectures, tutorials, and readings to develop the skills necessary to do this project, but you will work independently to develop and test your hypotheses, and write a report on your investigation. The report will be in IMRD format, i.e. it will include separate sections for the introduction, methods, results and discussion. You will get feedback on your formative progress in the shaping the project in the Problem Statement and Presentation.

Overall, the term paper is worth 50% of your grade, broken down as follows:

·        Problem Statement (due W 20 March by 5 pm via Turnitin) – 10%

·        Presentation (due T 30 April or T 6 May in Tutorial) – 10%

·        Research Report (due M 3 June by 5 pm via Turnitin) – 30%

A ‘Research Report Guide’ will be posted to the course website. It will include more detailed information about each of the items above.

Assessment Task 6

Research Report (Term Paper)

You will develop and write a term paper, in the form of a 3000-word research report, based on your testing of an evolutionary-based hypothesis or set of hypotheses about human behaviour using the Standard Cross-Cultural Sample (SCCS).

We will work together via lectures, tutorials, and readings to develop the skills necessary to do this project, but you will work independently to develop and test your hypotheses, and write a report on your investigation. The report will be in IMRD format, i.e. it will include separate sections for the introduction, methods, results and discussion. You will get feedback on your formative progress in the shaping the project in the Problem Statement and Presentation.

Overall, the term paper is worth 50% of your grade, broken down as follows:

·        Problem Statement (due W 20 March by 5 pm via Turnitin) – 10%

·        Presentation (due T 30 April or T 6 May in Tutorial) – 10%

·        Research Report (due M 3 June by 5 pm via Turnitin) – 30%

A ‘Research Report Guide’ will be posted to the course website. It will include more detailed information about each of the items above.

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a core part of our culture as a community of scholars. At its heart, academic integrity is about behaving ethically. This means that all members of the community commit to honest and responsible scholarly practice and to upholding these values with respect and fairness. The Australian National University commits to embedding the values of academic integrity in our teaching and learning. We ensure that all members of our community understand how to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support academic integrity. The ANU expects staff and students to uphold high standards of academic integrity and act ethically and honestly, to ensure the quality and value of the qualification that you will graduate with. The University has policies and procedures in place to promote academic integrity and manage academic misconduct. Visit the following Academic honesty & plagiarism website for more information about academic integrity and what the ANU considers academic misconduct. The ANU offers a number of services to assist students with their assignments, examinations, and other learning activities. The Academic Skills and Learning Centre offers a number of workshops and seminars that you may find useful for your studies.

Online Submission

You will be required to electronically sign a declaration as part of the submission of your assignment. Please keep a copy of the assignment for your records. Unless an exemption has been approved by the Associate Dean (Education) as submission must be through Turnitin.

Hardcopy Submission

For some forms of assessment (hand written assignments, art works, laboratory notes, etc.) hard copy submission is appropriate when approved by the Associate Dean (Education). Hard copy submissions must utilise the Assignment Cover Sheet. Please keep a copy of tasks completed for your records.

Late Submission

Late submission of assessment tasks without an extension are penalised at the rate of 5% of the possible marks available per working day or part thereof. Late submission of assessment tasks is not accepted after 10 working days after the due date, or on or after the date specified in the course outline for the return of the assessment item. Late submission is not accepted for take-home examinations.

Referencing Requirements

Accepted academic practice for referencing sources that you use in presentations can be found via the links on the Wattle site, under the file named “ANU and College Policies, Program Information, Student Support Services and Assessment”. Alternatively, you can seek help through the Students Learning Development website.

Returning Assignments

All assessments are “returned” via Turnitin. That is, your mark and feedback for each assignment will be entered into Turnitin. When the marked assessments are released, you will be able to see your mark and feedback in Turnitin. The approximate dates for the return of assessments is included in the Course Overview section of this outline. 

Extensions and Penalties

Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure. The Course Convener may grant extensions for assessment pieces that are not examinations or take-home examinations. If you need an extension, you must request an extension in writing on or before the due date. If you have documented and appropriate medical evidence that demonstrates you were not able to request an extension on or before the due date, you may be able to request it after the due date.

Resubmission of Assignments

Resubmission is not allowed. 

Privacy Notice

The ANU has made a number of third party, online, databases available for students to use. Use of each online database is conditional on student end users first agreeing to the database licensor’s terms of service and/or privacy policy. Students should read these carefully. In some cases student end users will be required to register an account with the database licensor and submit personal information, including their: first name; last name; ANU email address; and other information.
In cases where student end users are asked to submit ‘content’ to a database, such as an assignment or short answers, the database licensor may only use the student’s ‘content’ in accordance with the terms of service – including any (copyright) licence the student grants to the database licensor. Any personal information or content a student submits may be stored by the licensor, potentially offshore, and will be used to process the database service in accordance with the licensors terms of service and/or privacy policy.
If any student chooses not to agree to the database licensor’s terms of service or privacy policy, the student will not be able to access and use the database. In these circumstances students should contact their lecturer to enquire about alternative arrangements that are available.

Distribution of grades policy

Academic Quality Assurance Committee monitors the performance of students, including attrition, further study and employment rates and grade distribution, and College reports on quality assurance processes for assessment activities, including alignment with national and international disciplinary and interdisciplinary standards, as well as qualification type learning outcomes.

Since first semester 1994, ANU uses a grading scale for all courses. This grading scale is used by all academic areas of the University.

Support for students

The University offers students support through several different services. You may contact the services listed below directly or seek advice from your Course Convener, Student Administrators, or your College and Course representatives (if applicable).

• ANU Health, safety & wellbeing for medical services, counselling, mental health and spiritual support
• ANU Diversity and inclusion for students with a disability or ongoing or chronic illness
• ANU Dean of Students for confidential, impartial advice and help to resolve problems between students and the academic or administrative areas of the University
• ANU Academic Skills and Learning Centre supports you make your own decisions about how you learn and manage your workload.
• ANU Counselling Centre promotes, supports and enhances mental health and wellbeing within the University student community.
• ANUSA supports and represents undergraduate and ANU College students
• PARSA supports and represents postgraduate and research students