Evolutionary psychology

Evolutionary psychology studies how natural selection and other evolutionary processes shaped psychological traits and behaviors. It uses evolutionary theory to explain patterns in cognition, emotion, and social life.

Natural selection: Natural selection is the differential survival and reproduction of organisms due to heritable variation. It supplies the central process by which proposed psychological adaptations could have evolved.
Evolutionary biology: Evolutionary biology studies the processes and history of biological change across generations. Evolutionary psychology applies its principles to psychological traits and behavior.
Charles Darwin: Charles Darwin was an English naturalist who developed the theory of evolution by natural selection. His account of selection and sexual selection underlies evolutionary explanations of mind and behavior.
Evolutionary theories of emotion: Evolutionary theories of emotion explain emotions as responses shaped to address recurring challenges to survival and reproduction. They apply adaptation-based reasoning to psychological responses such as fear and disgust.
Social constructionism: Social constructionism examines how social practices and shared meanings shape categories, identities, and knowledge. It emphasizes cultural formation where evolutionary accounts emphasize inherited psychological tendencies.
Adaptation: An adaptation is an inherited trait shaped by selection because it improved reproductive success in a particular environment. Evolutionary psychologists treat some recurring psychological traits as adaptations to past problems.
Behavioral ecology: Behavioral ecology studies how behavior relates to ecological conditions and reproductive success. It provides a closely related framework for explaining behavior through costs and benefits.
William Hamilton: William Hamilton was a British evolutionary biologist who formalized inclusive fitness and kin selection. His theory helped explain how selection can favor behavior benefiting genetic relatives.
Evolutionary psychology of religion: The evolutionary psychology of religion studies cognitive and social processes that may contribute to religious beliefs and practices. It applies evolutionary accounts to belief, ritual, and group life.
Standard social science model: The standard social science model is a critique-targeted view that treats the mind as largely shaped by culture and learning. Evolutionary psychologists contrast their approach with this account of culture and human nature.

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