Evolutionary psychology

Evolutionary Psychology

Evolutionary psychology (pronunciation: /ˌiːvəˈluːʃənəri saɪˈkɒlədʒi/) is a theoretical approach in the social and natural sciences that examines psychological structure from a modern evolutionary perspective. It seeks to identify which human psychological traits are evolved adaptations – that is, the functional products of natural selection or sexual selection in human evolution.

Etymology

The term "evolutionary psychology" is derived from the fields of evolutionary biology and psychology. "Evolutionary" refers to the process of evolution by natural selection, while "psychology" is the scientific study of the human mind and its functions.

Related Terms

• Adaptation: In evolutionary biology, an adaptation is a trait with a current functional role in the life of an organism that is maintained and evolved by means of natural selection.
• Natural Selection: The differential survival and reproduction of individuals due to differences in phenotype.
• Sexual Selection: A mode of natural selection where members of one biological sex choose mates of the other sex to mate with, and compete with members of the same sex for access to members of the opposite sex.
• Human Evolution: The lengthy process of change by which people originated from apelike ancestors.
• Psychological Traits: Characteristics of a person's mental processes and behaviors.

See Also

• Behavioral Ecology
• Cognitive Science
• Evolutionary Biology
• Evolutionary Developmental Psychology
• Evolutionary Neuroscience
• Human Behavioral Ecology

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