IMAGINATION AND FITNESS: AN EVOLUTIONARY VIEWPOINT

• Authors: Lukasik A.
• Languages of publication: PL

Abstracts

EN

The three hypotheses have been verified in the experiments presented in this paper: according to the first one, possessing the creative imagination increases human fitness; according to the second one - one condition to fulfill an adaptation function by imagination is possessing imagery which is adjusted to the situation (e.g. the reproductive imagination - the usual situation; the creative imagination - the unusual situation); according to the third hypothesis - which derived from the sexual selection theory - possessing the creative imagination by males has a very important influence for an estimation of the males' fitness made by females and - on the basis of the compatibility rule - for an estimation of the males' fitness made by males. In the experiment subjects estimated fitness indicators of a woman and a man differentiating in possessing a kind of imagination and kind of situation in which they appeared. The results supported the first hypothesis, but with reference to the 'copying' fitness indicator only. In this case, in opinion of subjects the 'experimental woman' as well as the 'experimental man' who posses the creative imagination will better copy in the presented situations that characters who posses the reproduction imagery. In reference to the second hypothesis (as well as in reference to the 'copying' fitness indicator) it showed that adaptation's benefits which are tied with possessing the creative as well as reproductive imagination admittedly exist but despite the kind of situation in which they are useful. The third hypothesis hasn't been supported. The compatibility rule was supported only in the case of a man fitness estimation, man who had the creative imagination and was in the usual situation. Thus it seems that both genders prefer the specific kind of the creative imagination - the 'creative practical imagination' and preference by women the males' creative imagination in the unusual situation is additional, 'fuzzy' selection criterion and it can be very important in some conditions (for example, excess of males on the 'sexual market').

Keywords

EN

EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGY; FITNESS; IMAGINATION

Discipline

• PSYCHOLOGY: PSYCHOLOGY

• Publisher: Interdyscyplinarne Centrum Genetyki Zachowania (ICGZ) Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego
• Journal: Psychologia-Etologia-Genetyka
• Year: 2007
• Volume: 16
• Pages: 7-32
• Document type: ARTICLE

Contributors

author

Lukasik A.

• A. Lukasik, Uniwersytet Rzeszowski, Zaklad Psychologii, ul. ks. J. Jalowego 24, 35-959 Rzeszów, Poland

Identifiers

CEJSH db identifier

08PLAAAA04268305