David C. Geary
Fri 09 Nov 2018, 16:00 - 17:00
Room F21, Department of Psychology, 7 George Square

If you have a question about this talk, please contact: Timothy Bates (tbates)

Image for The Evolution of Vulnerability

Traits that facilitate competition for reproductive resources or that influence mate choice generally have a heightened sensitivity to stressors. They have evolved to signal resilience to infectious disease and nutritional and social stressors, and are compromised by exposure to man-made toxins. Although these traits can differ from one species or sex to the next, an understanding of the dynamics of competition and choice can in theory be used to generate a prioripredictions about sex- age- and trait-specific vulnerabilities for any sexually reproducing species. I will provide a brief review of these dynamics and illustrate associated vulnerabilities in nonhuman species. The age- and sex-specific vulnerability of such traits will then be illustrated for stressor-related disruptions of boys’ and girls’ physical growth and play behavior, as well as for aspects of boys’ and girls’ and men’s and women’s personality, language and spatial abilities. There is much that remains to be determined, but enough is now known to reframe trait sensitivity in ways that will allow us to better identify and understand vulnerable human traits, and eventually ameliorate or prevent their expression.