Evolutionary Psychology

Overview of The DayWhat is Evolutionary Psychology and Why Study it?The Nature of This Course

Course RequirementsBooks and Other ReadingsPSY 332 is a University Program (UP) Course (Group IV-A)

What is Evolutionary Psychology?

Evolutionary Psychology asks “why” questions about human behavior.

Evolutionary Psychology is concerned with thought, emotional, and behavioral patterns common to all humans.

Evolutionary Psychology asks is concerned with function (the purpose of something) and adaptation (how it contributes to survival and reproduction)

Examples

Why do pregnant women avoid certain foods and crave other foods, primarily during their first trimester?

Why do young children dislike eating vegetables?

Why do most men find young, shapely women desirable mates?

Why it is Important to Study Evolutionary Psychology

It provides an over-arching theory for understanding psychological phenomena

It provides an alternative view of human nature to the traditional “blank slate” view

How we view human nature has important implications for practical matters (education, law, child welfare)

The 21st century will probably be the century of biology, just as the 20th century was the century of physics

A Definition

Evolutionary psychology is a synthesis of modern psychology and evolutionary biology. It utilizes the logic of evolutionary theory to examine human behavior and mental processes. In particular, evolutionary psychology is concerned with the origins and functions of characteristically human behaviors and mental activity—and how they were (and now may or may not be) adaptive in responding to particular classes of stimuli. It integrates concepts and research from evolutionary

biology with basic psychological phenomena.

Evolutionary Psychology and Traditional Psychology

Explanations for: language, sex, learning math The role of culture and learning

Implications for interventions How useful is training? What type of

training works best? The role of experts Forward vs. reverse engineering

Overview of the Course

Course and Learning ObjectivesCourse FormatCourse Requirements

Student Presentations Exams Class Participation

Books and Readings

Required BookOptional BooksReserve Room Readings

University Program Course

PSY 332 (Evolutionary Psychology) is a UP course

Group IV-A

The Syllabus

Read over syllabusDiscuss in group with the goal of:

Formulating 3 or 4 questions about the syllabus or course

Tell Us About Yourself

Your nameEducational and/or career goalsWhy you are taking this courseWhat you hope to get out of the

course

Summary

What is Evolutionary PsychologyExamplesWhy it is Important to Study itCourse RequirementsBooks and Other Readings