Description
Book SynopsisEvolution and Psychology is a critical exploration of how evolutionary approaches can be used to understand the human mind and behaviour.
Written for undergraduate students in the social sciences, this text provides an accessible introduction to foundational concepts in evolutionary biology. It then explores evolutionary perspectives on key psychological topics such as cognition, development, group dynamics, mate choice, language and communication, psychopathology, and culture. An interdisciplinary approach is woven throughout, integrating evolutionary psychology with insights from behavioural ecology, anthropology, genetics, and neuroscience.
You will learn to think critically about evolutionary explanations, with Warning Flag features throughout the text that address frequently misunderstood topics, common fallacies, and historical misuses and abuses of applying evolutionary theory to human behaviour.
This is an essential read for students of Evolutionary Psychology and anyone looking for a contemporary overview of this complex and captivating field.
Scott A. MacDougall-Shackleton is Professor of Psychology at Western University.
Table of ContentsPart I: Foundations Chapter 1: Introduction to Evolution and Human Behaviour Chapter 2: Natural and Sexual Selection Chapter 3: Human Origins Chapter 4: Evolutionary Approaches to the Study of Human Behaviour Chapter 5: Development as a Central Process Part II: Evolutionary Perspectives on Human Social Behaviour Chapter 6: Reproductive Behaviour and Mate Choice Chapter 7: Social Development & Kin-directed Behaviour Chapter 8: Families & Groups: Cooperation and Conflict Part III: Evolutionary Perspectives on Cognition Chapter 9: Perception and Action Chapter 10: Evolution and Cognition Chapter 11: Language Part IV: Evolutionary Perspectives on Psychopathology, Motivation and Emotion, Individual Differences, and Culture Chapter 12: Evolution and Psychopathology Chapter 13: Motivation, Emotion, and Individual Differences Chapter 14: Culture and Evolution
