Motivation and biology

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Motivation and biology
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Why do we like certain content?

• Nature v. nurture
• Overall population tendencies v. individual
  differences

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Evolution

• What is the overall theory of evolution?
• Individuals within a given species vary on a
  number of traits
• The traits have survival valuethat is, some
  individuals are able better to survive and
  procreate based on their traits
• The traits are passed down to their offspring,
  who are also better able to survive
• Over time, the more fit come to make up a
  larger proportion of the population and the
  species changes

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Sociobiology

• Behavior reflects the biological inheritance of
  the species
• Behavioral tendencies can have survival value
• This appears to have special impact on procreation

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Why do women and men act the way they do?

• Men and women have different roles in procreation
• Obviously
• Those roles imply conflict in sexual behavior
• Sexual behavior is also strongly influenced by
  culture
• However, culture is affected by
  evolution/biological determinism as well

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So . . .

• The goal of each generation is to extend its
  genetic distribution in the next generation
• selfish genes
• For men, because they can have lots and lots of
  children in rapid order, the goal is to
  impregnate as many women as they can get their
  hands on and then move on
• love em and leave em

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• On the other hand, women are stuck for at least 9
  months and probably significantly longer, and are
  unlikely to be able to protect the child when
  then next male arrives.
• Examples of cannibalism, child murder in the
  animal kingdom

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• Men also want to see their progeny survive to
  reproductive age, so . . .
• They will remain and protect their children and
  accept that they can impregnate fewer females
• Harem as a compromise
• Marriage/monogamy as the extreme example

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Why do men want good-looking young women?

• Physical attractiveness and youth signal likely
  success of childbirth and child rearing

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Why do women want rich men?

• The indication of having plenty of food to eat
  attracts women who must survive pregnancy and
  breastfeeding as well as see to it that their
  children are fed until they are old enough to
  care for themselves

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What has this got to do with electronic media?

• Many of the findings of content analyses of
  entertainment products seem to follow the rules
  of sociobiology
• Listen to Jay Lenos monologue once and youd
  think he wrote the book

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What has this got to do with electronic media?

• Ohler and Nieding argue that entertainment has
  survival value, especially as a form of
  attracting fit mates
• Big brains have survival value
• Entertainment is a marker for intelligence

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What else has this got to do with electronic media

• Vorderer, Steen and Chan argue that entertainment
  is our inherited form of play, which had survival
  value but might not anymorethat is, when play
  developed it was a way to prepare for a tiger
  trying to eat you
• Tag as practice in predation and escape
• Play had to be intrinsically motivating

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Intrinsic motivation

• Ryan and Decis self-determination theory
• Competence
• Autonomy
• Relatedness