Battle of the Brains, Psychology assignment
psychology
Description
Instructions
First, watch the video Battle of the Brains,
Note
If you do not have access to the website, then instead of watching the video, please refer to the Hock
(2013) reading “Just how are you intelligent?” You will use either Battle of the Brains or the Hock (2013)
reading as the basis for comparing intelligence of different kinds in two different environments. You may
also want to search online for the video
Your task in this assignment is to compare and contrast the kinds of intelligence that are needed
in two different environments. Environment A is one with which we are all familiar: any village,
town, or city. Environment B is one with which you may not be familiar: the !Kung San people
of the Kalahari desert. (The ! is pronounced as a tongue-click.)
The !Kung San lifestyle has changed very little over millennia until recent contact with the
outside world. Traditionally they are hunter-gatherers who follow the food supply for much of
the year. Without much interaction with other people, they have been dependent on themselves
for survival, and therefore cooperation, interdependence, mutual trust and helpfulness have been
vital to their existence. As nomads, they have had little need or opportunity to accumulate
possessions. The main sources of food are animals which can be hunted or trapped, and whatever
grows naturally; they traditionally have not practiced agriculture or animal husbandry. The group
size is up to about fifty individuals.
