Evolutionary Psychology (the podcast) Plants, Infants, and the Evolution of Social Learning with Annie Wertz
Aug 26, 2025
Annie Wertz, a Professor of Psychology at UCSB, shares her groundbreaking research on infants' understanding of plants and the role of social learning in their interactions. She discusses how babies navigate their environment using social cues to assess which plants are safe or toxic, revealing an intricate cognitive process. Wertz critiques traditional views on cognitive modularity, emphasizing the evolutionary aspects of learning and survival strategies. The conversation highlights the deeper emotional connections humans have with plants and the importance of hands-on learning in fostering positive relationships with nature.
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Evolutionary Toolkit Reveals Cognitive Design
- Evolutionary psychology supplies a rigorous theoretical toolkit for predicting which cognitive systems should exist.
- Form follows function: design features derive from adaptive problems, not from labels like "module".
Understanding Requires Iterative Learning
- Mastering evolutionary psychology requires deep, iterative learning; initial 'aha' moments often crumble with deeper reading.
- True understanding needs sustained study, discussion, and application, not superficial reading.
Plants Pose Unique Adaptive Challenges
- Plants are central to human subsistence and present distinct adaptive problems from animals because they are stationary and chemically defended.
- Those differences predict specialized learning systems for identifying, processing, and avoiding plant toxins.
