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Does other-oriented behavior really exist in humans? Is there evidence of “prosociality” in apes like us? Does anything that even appears like altruism exist? Yeah, you bet.
As demarcated in detail in several scholarly publications (See summary of this work in my book, Evolutionary Psychology 101), various forms of prosocial behavior exist in humans. And evolution can help us understand the origins of each of these forms of apparent altruism in a deep and detailed manner.
Perhaps the most common form of altruistic behavior in humans is termed “kin-selected altruism” and refers to instances in which individuals help others who are likely to disproportionately share genes with themselves (see Hamilton, 1964). Such individuals, likely targets of kin-related altruistic acts, are biological kin. And a great deal of research has demonstrated that kin-selected altruism is alive-and-well in the sphere of human social behavior (see Geher, 2014 for a detailed summary of this work).
Mothering as Kin-Selection Sine Qua Non
In a classic treatise on the topic of kin selection, Richard Dawkins (1976) points out something that is almost too obvious for people to see for themselves. When it comes to kin-selected altruism in mammals like us, mothering is, by far and away, the most common form of altruism. Note that fathers are great and all (I am one myself so I can talk!), but given the fact that fathers evolved a host of adaptations designed as a result of the biological premise that some percentage of fathers are “cuckolds,” unwittingly raising offspring that are not biologically “theirs,” fathers simply did not evolve the same unconditional suite of altruistic behaviors toward offspring that mothers have evolved (see Platek et al., 2002). On the other hand, mothers have evolved adaptations toward caring for offspring in spades.
If this is not immediately apparent to you in just thinking about it, then consider these extraordinary and heroic acts that mothers generally commit routinely in our species:
- Pregnancy. A major physiological feat that comes with significant costs and risks.
- Childbirth. An act that, under ancestral conditions (and, to a lesser extent, now) posed a major risk to survival itself.
- Breastfeeding. Thousands of hours per child are typically invested in this way in our species.
- Childrearing. Across the globe, mothers play a disproportionate role in the nuts and bolts of raising a child – including feeding kids, getting them dressed, teaching them how to get along with others, getting them on the school bus, joining the PTA, sitting through countless soccer games on windy, drizzly days, etc. Sure, dads do this stuff, too – but, disproportionately, moms are the stars of these roles in families in human groups across the continents.
If for some reason, mothers around the world stopped mothering, you know exactly what would happen. In an evolutionary blink of an eye, the cockroaches would take over the earth and “human beings” would be a historical blip.
Happy Mother’s Day from Darwin’s Subterranean World
I take on many roles in my life. Among them, being a father is really, to my mind, my single most important role. This said, I can humbly state that fathers take an evolutionary back seat to mothers around the world. It’s just part of our evolutionary heritage (see Hrdy, 2009).
So here’s to the mothers of the human species – past, present, and future! Gratitude, love, and thanks. Happy Mother’s Day!
References
Dawkins, R. (1976/1989). The Selfish Gene. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Geher, G. (2016). The Selfless Gene. Psychology Today blog post.
Geher, G. (2014). Evolutionary Psychology 101. New York: Springer.
Hamilton W.D. (1964). "The genetical evolution of social behaviour. I" J. Theor. Biol. 7, 1–16.
Hrdy, S. B. (2009). Mothers and Others: The Evolutionary Origins of Mutual Understanding. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
Platek, S.M., Burch, R.L., Panyavin, I.S., Wasserman, B.H., & Gallup, G.G., Jr. (2002). Reactions to children's faces: Resemblance affects males more than females. Evolution and Human Behavior, 23, 159-166.
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Acknowledgment: This post is dedicated to my mom - Roberta - who has supported me and invested in me (and my brothers - and our families) for decades and decades - and who continues to be a bright light in this world. Thanks for everything, mom!
