Intimate Relationships and The Family - Judith Semon Dubas
A predominantly Biosocial and Evolutionary Perspective (Chapter 3) to understand the
development of Intimate Relationships (Chapter 5) and interactions within The Family
(Chapter 11) with a hint of Family Systems Theory
Role of the Family
Evolutionary or historical
Relevance: sexual and cooperative bond that results in continuation of society
o To pass on your genes to the next generation
o Survival of the fittest: who has the most children
Lecture Outline
Core Assumptions and Fundamentals
Reproductive Strategies (Between Family Differences)
Attachment
Within-Family Differences
o Parental differential treatment
o Mothers vs Fathers
Evolutionary Theory Core Assumptions
Humans have an evolutionary origin.
The family has played an important role in human evolution.
The evolutionary origin of humans has an influence upon families today.
o But: human culture created other ways (IVF, homosexuality)
o Creating a culture means creating a context.
o Humans: biparental care (other species: the male is only there to inseminate)
o Menopause so that women can care for the children of their children?
Proximate (for example: age) biology has an influence on the family, and the family
has an influence on the biology and the health of its members.
o Grandmother has another role in the family
o Or as a women, your biological is ticking
The biosocial domain is concerned with three factors: the biological, the
(psycho)social, and the biosocial (interaction: one is never independent of another).
The biosocial refers to the interplay between social and psychological forces together
with biology.
One aspect of a biosocial perspective has been the application of evolutionary
thinking to human and family understanding.
Human biological and biosocial variables do not determine human conduct, but pose
limitations and constraints (we cannot live underwater) as well as possibilities and
opportunities for families.
BioSocial: Intermediate Position
o Humans have a species history which distinguishes it from other animals: the
coevolution of biology and culture makes humans more complex than other
animals.
Causation
Proximate causation: immediate influences, short period of time (e.g., effect of family
conflict on depression among adolescents).
Distal causation: intermediate causes (e.g., effect of parent-infant bonding/attachment
on later development).
Ultimate causation: evolutionary influences (further)
, Ultimate Causation
Fundamental question: How has the family contributed to the success of humans?
What was the character of our evolutionary past? . . . How has our evolutionary
history affected the attributes of the family?
Cultural diversity issues: Where and under what ecological circumstances does the
biosocial . . . encourage variety in kinship formation?
Why is the family a universal phenomenon?
Proximate Causation:
Fundamental question: How do biology and society interact to form the family of
today?
o Example: Chinese one child law
What are specific biosocial covariates?
What are self-selection or niche-building effects?
Dutch family policy: Every household of one or more adults who are responsible for
the care and upbringing of children.
Approximately 2.5 million families = 80% (married) couples
Families with parents of same gender = .2% of all 2-parent families
Main Problems Addressed by the Theory (ultimate causation)
Reproduction and Fertility (how often / how many children you have?)
o What are the mechanisms directly affecting reproduction?
o What are some of the reproductive questions facing humans?
Dangerous situation more children chance of surviving increases
Parental Investment
o What are the mechanisms that support parental investment and how are they
likely to be interpreted?
o Who will do the investment and will it be through care, food, defense, or some
other means?
Fathers: not necessary directly, but also through money
How has evolutionary theory contributed to our understanding of the family and individual
development more generally?
Hallmark of Being Human
o Baby or little kitten or puppy: big eyes and forehead urge to care for the creature
Konrad Lorentz pointed out
Adults respond favorably to the typical infant facial structure—disproportionately large
heads and eyes, small noses, and chubby cheeks.
Evolution, Parenting and Family Relationships (levels of investigations)
Universal features
Between-family differences
Within-family differences
Evolutionary Developmental Psychology (EDP)
Takes the ideas developed by Charles Darwin (1859) and applies them to human
behavior with particular emphasis on the social and cognitive competencies needed
to be able to survive childhood and adolescence.
Evolutionary Psychology (focuses mainly on adults)
A predominantly Biosocial and Evolutionary Perspective (Chapter 3) to understand the
development of Intimate Relationships (Chapter 5) and interactions within The Family
(Chapter 11) with a hint of Family Systems Theory
Role of the Family
Evolutionary or historical
Relevance: sexual and cooperative bond that results in continuation of society
o To pass on your genes to the next generation
o Survival of the fittest: who has the most children
Lecture Outline
Core Assumptions and Fundamentals
Reproductive Strategies (Between Family Differences)
Attachment
Within-Family Differences
o Parental differential treatment
o Mothers vs Fathers
Evolutionary Theory Core Assumptions
Humans have an evolutionary origin.
The family has played an important role in human evolution.
The evolutionary origin of humans has an influence upon families today.
o But: human culture created other ways (IVF, homosexuality)
o Creating a culture means creating a context.
o Humans: biparental care (other species: the male is only there to inseminate)
o Menopause so that women can care for the children of their children?
Proximate (for example: age) biology has an influence on the family, and the family
has an influence on the biology and the health of its members.
o Grandmother has another role in the family
o Or as a women, your biological is ticking
The biosocial domain is concerned with three factors: the biological, the
(psycho)social, and the biosocial (interaction: one is never independent of another).
The biosocial refers to the interplay between social and psychological forces together
with biology.
One aspect of a biosocial perspective has been the application of evolutionary
thinking to human and family understanding.
Human biological and biosocial variables do not determine human conduct, but pose
limitations and constraints (we cannot live underwater) as well as possibilities and
opportunities for families.
BioSocial: Intermediate Position
o Humans have a species history which distinguishes it from other animals: the
coevolution of biology and culture makes humans more complex than other
animals.
Causation
Proximate causation: immediate influences, short period of time (e.g., effect of family
conflict on depression among adolescents).
Distal causation: intermediate causes (e.g., effect of parent-infant bonding/attachment
on later development).
Ultimate causation: evolutionary influences (further)
, Ultimate Causation
Fundamental question: How has the family contributed to the success of humans?
What was the character of our evolutionary past? . . . How has our evolutionary
history affected the attributes of the family?
Cultural diversity issues: Where and under what ecological circumstances does the
biosocial . . . encourage variety in kinship formation?
Why is the family a universal phenomenon?
Proximate Causation:
Fundamental question: How do biology and society interact to form the family of
today?
o Example: Chinese one child law
What are specific biosocial covariates?
What are self-selection or niche-building effects?
Dutch family policy: Every household of one or more adults who are responsible for
the care and upbringing of children.
Approximately 2.5 million families = 80% (married) couples
Families with parents of same gender = .2% of all 2-parent families
Main Problems Addressed by the Theory (ultimate causation)
Reproduction and Fertility (how often / how many children you have?)
o What are the mechanisms directly affecting reproduction?
o What are some of the reproductive questions facing humans?
Dangerous situation more children chance of surviving increases
Parental Investment
o What are the mechanisms that support parental investment and how are they
likely to be interpreted?
o Who will do the investment and will it be through care, food, defense, or some
other means?
Fathers: not necessary directly, but also through money
How has evolutionary theory contributed to our understanding of the family and individual
development more generally?
Hallmark of Being Human
o Baby or little kitten or puppy: big eyes and forehead urge to care for the creature
Konrad Lorentz pointed out
Adults respond favorably to the typical infant facial structure—disproportionately large
heads and eyes, small noses, and chubby cheeks.
Evolution, Parenting and Family Relationships (levels of investigations)
Universal features
Between-family differences
Within-family differences
Evolutionary Developmental Psychology (EDP)
Takes the ideas developed by Charles Darwin (1859) and applies them to human
behavior with particular emphasis on the social and cognitive competencies needed
to be able to survive childhood and adolescence.
Evolutionary Psychology (focuses mainly on adults)
