Hannah Staats, a sophomore at IDEAS Academy, independently designed and created this semester-long project as part of a course called IDEAS Project Block. In the class, students have the opportunity to pursue projects in disciplines of their choice, in this case she interprets research on cultural and biological evolution through an original script. While supported through instruction designed to facilitate the creative process, this project demonstrates the higher order thinking involved in these student-driven projects. The following are selections from academic writing that show Hannah's process. 

How does the way we perceive our own psychological mindsets further biological and cultural evolution?

PROPOSAL

"I know I want to write a dramatic work of some sort, probably using a staged reading for my presentation. As I begin the research phase, I will also try to begin outlining the plot structure based on my findings, hopefully thus strengthening the connections between the art form and research as well as the final product itself. While at this point, I am having trouble imagining what this product may be exactly, I feel that my topic lends itself to this sort of expression; for example, I can imagine evolution being represented in a character arc.

In doing preliminary research, I concluded that I should start my research phase reading on evolutionary psychology, the more recent sub-field of psychology that bases its philosophy in the principles of evolution. I came across sources such as The Handbook of Evolutionary Psychology by David M. Buss that I plan on investigating further. I also may want to do some research on the history of the study of psychology itself as a way of seeing how the way at least one group of people’s perception on their own psychology has evolved over time. My preliminary research also consisted of looking into specific psychological theories, which I plan to continue to do as my idea of the broader picture develops. I can use these as specific examples supporting my research. For example, one theory I found especially interesting was self-enhancement bias..." Click here to read the complete proposal.

RESEARCH

"As Cosmides, Tooby, and Barkow write in their introduction to The Adapted Mind, “by understanding the selection pressures that our hominid ancestors face...one should be able to gain some insight into the design of the information processing mechanisms that evolved to solve these problems. In doing so, one can begin to understand the processes that underlie cultural phenomena as well” (9).  

Perhaps a definition of “culture” itself is due. Humans, along with many other species, have evolved to rely on a support system for survival-- having a community to go to for resources rather than fending entirely for yourself is certainly advantageous not only to the individual organism but to the species as a whole. The community serves as a safety net to fall back on, granting the freedom to pursue matters beyond basic needs to science, art, and philosophy. Eventually, by dedicating resources to matters beyond our basic needs, we design more sophisticated means to meet them in the first place. At that point, it is not only the biological mechanisms of the brain that are evolving, but the cultural creations of the mechanisms themselves..." Click here to read the complete bridge paper. 

ARTIST STATEMENT

"Olivia struggles with understanding the irrational behavior of the people around her, but cannot perceive her own behavior as anything but logical. As an individual, this is something she simply cannot do, something that none of us as human beings can do, because the cause of these behaviors that break the mold of what is predictable and rational is the part of our minds that operates unconsciously. We are in the dark when it comes to this part of our brains, and even an infinite amount of study cannot turn on the light and bridge the gap between understanding and awareness..." Click here to read the complete statement.

EXHIBITION

Read the script!