Chinese Version of Psychology Today post,

Darwin’s Tips for Kindergarten Teachers (by Glenn Geher)

Translation Team: 姜荣琪（Reggy）甘章杰（Tina）李沁忆（Bella）钱奕美（olivia）

For the past week I have been teaching a course in evolutionary

psychology to 80 bright and eager early education students at China’s

renowned Chongqing University of Education. This experience has made

me a true believer in the fact that people are people wherever you go.

在过去的一周里，我在中国重庆第二师范学院任教，给 80名聪明而

热情的学前教育专业的学生教授进化心理学课程。这一经历使我真正

相信，无论走到哪里，人类都有共性。

The students in this class are future educators in the most populous

nation on the planet. The next generation of leaders is in their hands. So

I have been taking this job seriously.

这个班级的学生是地球上人口最多的国家的未来教育者，他们

肩负着培养下一代人的重任。所以我特别认真对待这份工作。

Today, I put together a presentation for them that focused on how the

work from evolutionary psychology can help inform their futures as

educators of young children. Here are 10 ways that Darwin’s big idea

can help make improvements to childhood education. Across all reaches

of the globe.

今天，我为他们做了一个报告，着重于阐述进化心理学如何与

幼儿教育工作者的未来联系起来。这里有来自达尔文理论的十种方

式，可以帮助改善遍及全球各地的儿童教育。

1. Emotions level the educational playing field

The experience and expression of emotions are universal across human

cultures (see Ekman & Friesen, 1986; Darwin, 1871). If you are a teacher,

at some point, you will run into a student who is not a native speaker of

your language. You will encounter a student who is from a culture that is

dramatically different from your own. That’s OK. If you and your student

are both willing to work, you’ll find a common bond in the world of

emotional communication. The expression of emotions in humans is

remarkably powerful and communicative. And it plays a major role in the

transmission of ideas. Emotion-based communication has the potential

to level the playing field when it comes to education.

1.情感层面的教育领域

在人类文化中，情感的体验和表达是普遍的。（出自 Ekman &

Friesen, 1986; Darwin, 1871）如果你是一名老师，有时候你会遇到一

个母语和你不一样的学生，你会遇到一个与你自身接受的文化迥然

不同的学生。没关系，如果你和你的学生都愿意努力，你们就会发现

在情感交流的世界中有一个共同的纽带。情感在人类中的表达是非常

强大和利于沟通的，它在思想的传播中起着重要作用。情感交流的运

用，在教育领域具有潜在的公平竞争优势。

2. We are an altricial species

Humans are, in the language of evolutionary scholars, an “altricial”

species. Our young develop slowly and needs lots of attention and care.

This all is the result of such happenstances as bipedal locomotion and a

small birth canal. And it is, ultimately, the reason that intensive early

education matters in our species.

2.我们是一种晚熟物种。

在进化学者的语言中，人类是一种晚熟物种。我们幼时早期发展缓

慢，需要大量的关注和照顾。这是如直立运动和窄产道等偶然事件所

导致的结果。而这也就是我们物种早期强化教育的原因。

3. Modern education is evolutionarily mismatched

Prior to the evolutionarily recent dawn of agriculture and “civilization,”

all humans were nomads, living in small groups (see Gruskin & Geher,

2017; Gray, 2013). Under such conditions, education was never a formal

enterprise. Under ancestral conditions, children learned largely from

other children—and they learned while engaged in play. Formal modern

education, across all reaches of the globe, is, in many ways, removed

from this kind of educational environment. If we want to improve

education, we’d be wise to look to our ancestral past.

3. 现代教育与进化错配

在农业生产和人类文明诞生前，所有的人类都是游牧民族，并生活

在小群体中(参见 Gruskin & Geher，2017年; Gray,2013)。在这种情况

下，教育，没有固定的形式。在原始的条件下，孩子们主要是从同

伴那里学习——在玩耍的时候学习。在世界各地，常规的现代教育

在许多方面已经和原始教育形式相差甚远。如果我们想要改善教

育，我们应该理智地看待我们祖先的教育方法。

4. Reciprocal altruism matters

One of the foundational aspects of being human is this: We are

members of a species that has engaged in reciprocal altruism, the

helping of others with an expectation of help in return, for millennia (see

Trivers, 1971). Sharing and helping others is a basic feature of what it

means to be human. Understanding the evolutionary roots of reciprocal

altruism can go a long way in helping a teacher get kids to understand

why the helping of others matters.

4. 互惠利他主义很重要

互惠理他主义是我们人类的基本特性之一，千年以来，助人者自助

的理念已经深入人心。（参见 Trivers，1971）。分享和帮助他人对

我们来说是基本的，也是有意义的。如果老师能够充分理解互惠性

利他主义的进化根源，就能以此来帮助孩子理解互帮互助的重要

性。

5. Kids come from backgrounds that differ in terms of life history

If public education ever nosedives, we are all pretty much done for.

Education in most countries is compulsory. For good reason. This said, it

is important to note that while humans are generally a slow-developing

species, with parents devoting special attention to offspring, some

people (from all cultures) come from unstable and harsh environments.

In such contexts, people are more likely to develop a “fast life history

strategy”—having lots of kids and providing less support to each

individual kid. And that fact has implications for child development.

Understanding the evolutionary roots of life-history differences in

humans can be crucial for public school teachers in grasping the diversity

of conditions their students come from.

5．孩子们来自不同的背景，不同的生活史。

如果教育质量出现急剧下滑，我们都会遭到巨大冲击。这就有充分的

理由去证明，大多数国家的教育是强制性的。这就是说，要注意到，

人类是一个晚熟物种，因此通常情况下父母对后代投入了大量的精

力，但有些人（不同的文化背景下）还是处于不稳定和恶劣的环境

下。在这种情况下，人们更有可能采取一种“快速生活的策略”——生

育大量的孩子，但他们给予每个孩子的关爱却很少。这个策略会对儿

童发展产生影响。对于教师来说，了解人类生命历史进化的差异根源

是至关重要的，因为这样，他们就会理解学生不同背景下的多样性。

6. Humans evolved for small-scale societies

Under ancestral conditions, humans lived in small-scale societies, rarely

exceeding 150 individuals (see Dunbar, 1993). In such contexts, simply,

people benefited from being nice to each other. After all, if you only have

149 others to work with—for the rest of your life—you can’t really afford

to be a diva! Teaching kids about the importance of putting the interests

of the group ahead of the interests of oneself is a basic part of early

education. Our evolutionary history of being part of a species shaped for

small-scale social living helps explain us why.

6，人类进化为小规模社会

在祖先的条件下，人类生活在小规模的社会中，很少超过 150 个人

（见邓巴，1993）。在这样的背景下，简单地说，人们受益于彼此友

好相处。毕竟，如果只有 149 个人和你紧密相连，你必须要学会和他

们相互依存！教导孩子们把集体利益置于自身利益之上的重要性是早

期教育的一个基本组成部分。小规模社会生活物种的进化史会给我们

答案。

7. Parental investment and early education

Human beings spend an awful lot of their time investing in their young

(see Trivers, 1972). This fact is particularly true of women, who spend a

disproportionately large amount of time with kids relative to what is found

in men (see Geher, 2014(link is external)). This gender difference owes

largely to the fact that women invest more in children biologically as a

result of pregnancy and childbirth. In combination, this all can help us

understand why women are so disproportionately represented in the field

of education. Gender differences in parental investment sheds light on the

issue of who is educating our children—and why.

7，父母投资与早期教育

人类花费大量的时间在他们的后代身上。（见 Trivers，1972）这一事

实尤其适用于女性，她们倾注了大量的时间在孩子们，相对于男性而

言。（见 Geher，2014）这种性别差异很大程度上是由于妇女在怀孕

和分娩过程中对儿童进行更多的投资。总之，这一切都有助于我们理

解为什么女性在教育领域的比例会如此之高。父母投资的性别差异揭

示了谁在教育我们的孩子——以及为什么。

8. Strategic pluralism and early education

Evolutionists are keen on the concept of strategic pluralism - the fact that

multiple strategies can, independently, lead to success in the living world

(see Gangestad & Simpson, 2000). When it comes to educating the next

generation of leaders, we often focus on developing academic success and

“book smarts.” Sure, this stuff matters, but it is not the only route to

success. Some kids are natural leaders in the world of social and emotional

interactions, while lagging in their academics. That’s OK. That is strategic

pluralism playing out in the human experience. There is a place in the

world for these kids too. There are multiple routes to success in life. And

teachers need to understand this fact.

8，战略多元性与早期教育

进化论者热衷于战略多元主义的概念——多重战略可以独立地在现

实生活中取得成功。（见 Gangestad & Simpson，2000）。说到教育下

一代的领导者，我们往往把重点放在发展学术成就和“书本智慧”上。

当然，这些东西很重要，但这并不是通向成功的唯一途径。有些孩子

是社会和情感互动的自然领袖，而他们的成绩可能相对滞后。没关系。

这是在人类经验中发挥的战略多元主义。对于这些孩子来说，世界上

总有一个地方是属于他们的。有多种途径可以实现世俗意义上的成功。

作为老师需要理解这个事实。

9. Why parents care so much

If you are a teacher-in-the-making, then you better expect to be dealing

with lots of parents in your career.

They will tell you that their kid is special.

They will tell you that you are doing something wrong.

They will tell you that their kid has been treated wrongly and that

you need to act.

They will tell you that their kid is the best!

And so on …

9. 为什么父母很关心孩子

如果你是一位成长中的老师，在你的职业生涯中，你将会和很多父

母打交道。

他们将会告诉你，他们的孩子很特别。

他们将会告诉你，你正在做一件错误的事情。

他们会告诉你，当他们的孩子受到了错误的对待，你需要采取行动。

他们将会告诉你他们的孩子是最好的。

……

Parents care a ton about their own kids. And the evolutionary

perspective can tell us why (see Dawkins, 1976). Evolution has shaped

humans in the same way that it has shaped all living things: To increase

one’s own genetic footprint in the next generation. Our kids are, at the

end of the day, the primary vehicle for this process. Plan to be a

teacher? Get ready to deal with parents! Lots of parents!!

父母十分关心自己的孩子。从进化学的观点我们可以知道为什么。(见

Dawkins, 1976)进化塑造了人类，就像它塑造了所有生物一样：在下

一代中提高他们自己的基因足迹。到现在为止，我们的孩子是这个过

程主要的载体。计划当一名老师吗？那要准备好和父母打交道，和很

多的父母打交道！

10. When it comes to education, question everything!

The evolutionary perspective encourages people to step back. If you are

a student in an education program, then you need to realize that you

will soon be charged with the task of building the future leaders of this

world. And there is no higher calling.

10. 说到教育，什么都要质疑！

进化学的观点鼓励人们跳出原来的圈子看问题。如果你是一个教育系

的学生，那么你将需要意识到你很快就会承担起培养未来世界领袖

的任务。没有比这更高的要求了。

As part of this, you need to realize that human beings are part of the

evolution of life. And understanding evolution, and its effects on human

psychology, is critical to understanding how to best educate our

children. So when it comes to thinking about education, note that you

need to always consider evolutionary forces. And don’t be afraid to

question everything that you have already learned. Remember, building

critical thinkers is part of our job as educators!

在这一部分中，你将需要知道人类也是生命进化的一部分。了解进化

对人类的心理的影响，这对如何以最好的方式教育我们的孩子是至

关重要的。因此，当谈到教育问题时，请注意，你需要始终考虑进化

的影响。不要害怕去质疑你学过的任何东西。记住，培养具有批判性

思维的思考者是作为教育工作者的任务一部分。

Bottom Line

Evolutionary psychology has emerged as a powerful force in explaining

all kinds of human-related phenomena. And when it comes to the

human condition, early education is as important as anything. What is

the next step in the field of early education? While there are several

possible contenders to this question, I think that integrating

evolutionary principles into our understanding of early childhood

education is the next great path forward in scholarship in the field of

early childhood education.

概要：

进化心理学已经成为解释人类各种相关现象的强有力的手段。当我们

谈到人类的环境时，早期教育和其它事情同等重要。早期教育的下一

步是什么呢？虽然有几种十分有力的答案来回答这个问题，但我认

为将进化原理融入我们对幼儿教育的理解是幼儿教育领域的下一个

研究方向。

References

Darwin, C. (1872). The expression of the emotions in man and animals.

London, UK: John Murray.

Dawkins, R. (1976). The Selfish Gene. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Dunbar, R. I. M. (1992). Neocortex size as a constraint on group size in

primates. Journal of Human Evolution, 22(6), 469–493.

Ekman, P., & Friesen, W.V. (1986). A new pan cultural facial expression

of emotion. Motivation and Emotion, 10, 159-168.

Gangestad, S.W., & Simpson, J. A. (2000). The evolution of human

mating: Trade-offs and strategic pluralism. Behavioral and Brain

Sciences, 23, 573–644.

Geher, G. (2014). Evolutionary Psychology 101. New York: Springer. (link

is external) Gray, P. (2013). Free to learn. New York, NY: Basic Books.

Gruskin, K., & Geher, G. (2018). The Evolved Classroom: Using

Evolutionary Theory to Inform Elementary Pedagogy. Evolutionary

Behavioral Sciences, 12, 1-13.

Trivers, R. L. (1971). The evolution of reciprocal altruism. Quarterly

Review of Biology, 46, 35–57.

Trivers, R. (1972). Parental investment and sexual selection. In B.

Campbell (Ed.), Sexual selection and the descent of man: 1871-1971 (pp.

136-179). Chicago: Aldine.

参考书目：

达尔文，C.（1872）《情感在人和动物中的表达》英国伦敦：

John Murray。

道金斯，R（1976）《自私的基因》牛津：牛津大学出版社。

邓巴，R. I. M（1992）《新皮层大小是灵长类动物群体大小的制约

因素》人类进化杂志，22（6），469 - 493。

艾克曼，皮和福瑞森，W.V.（1986）。《一种新的泛文化情感表达

方式》《动机和情感耿介斯泰德》10，159 至 168。

耿介斯泰德，S.W 和辛普森，J. A.（2000）。人类交配的进化：权衡

和战略多元主义。行为和脑科学，23, 573—644。

葛赫尔，G（2014）。进化心理学 101。纽约：斯普林格。（链接是

外部）灰色，P（2013）。可免费学习。纽约：基本书籍。

格鲁斯金，K.和葛赫尔，G（2018）。进化的课堂：用进化论来告诉

基础教育学。进化行为科学，12，1-13。

特里弗斯，R. L.（1971）。互惠利他主义的演变。生物学季刊，

46, 35—57。

特弗尔，R（1972）。父母的投资和性选择。在 B. Campbell

（ED），性选择和人类的下降：1871-1971（pp.136—179）。芝加

哥：阿尔丁。