Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst

Explain the difference between group selection and neo-group selection with references from the text. Why are these differences important?

Behave, in essence, deals with the myriad factors that work together to shape human behavior, from the cultural to the genetic, the hormonal to the moral. Of these factors, which surprised you most in its capacity to shape human behavior? Explain with references from the text.

Identify and explain three examples of “doing the right thing when it is the harder thing to do” from the text, including the involved brain regions. Think of another example. What regions would be involved in this case?

Is human religion good or bad? Are some religions better than others? Explain with references from the text.

Chapter 16 describes the need for a radical revision to the criminal justice system based on evidence from biology but does not explain how this new system would function in depth. Reread the chapter and provide a proposition for the design of this new system with references from the chapter.

Asch, Milgram, and Zimbardo’s experiments (covered in Chapter 12) have been highly influential in the psychological study of conformity. As Sapolsky points out, these studies have several problems. Choose one of these studies and describe a way it could be redone to avoid these problems. Incorporate sources additional to Behave. How do you expect this study to turn out, and how would these results be different or the same as the original experiment? Explain with references from the text.

Imagine you are a diplomat working to create peace between two rival religious groups. Your government has given you free reign to attempt any diplomatic procedure you choose, in any setting. Use findings from Sapolsky’s book to design an effective peace talk. Do not limit your references from the text to Chapter 11.

At the end of Chapter 12, Sapolsky discusses the idea of the “banality of heroism.” What does he mean by this phrase? What kind of cultural changes could human societies put in place to make heroism even more banal? Explain with references from the text.