What does an evolutionary psychologist do?
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History of Evolutionary PsychologyWhile biologists have attempted to uncover the biological bases of behavior for generations, modern evolutionary psychology did not begin until the 1975 publication of E.O. Wilson’s book Sociobiology. The book aimed to examine evolved behavior of animals, and the field was later expanded to cover human behavior and given its current name of evolutionary psychology. Topics Studied in Evolutionary PsychologyFind a TherapistEvolutionary psychologists study a wide range of human behavior. Because humans, like other animals, have had to evolve to meet environmental demands, evolutionary psychologists argue that all behavior has a genetic root, even if the behavior is shaped and influenced by culture. A few notable topics studied by evolutionary psychologists include:
Criticisms of Evolutionary PsychologyMany scientists, including Stephen Jay Gould and Evelyn Fox Keller, have criticized evolutionary psychology as being pseudo-scientific and have argued that evolutionary psychologists contribute little more than just-so stories. Just-so stories are stories that make intuitive sense but that may not be scientifically testable. Many of the claims of evolutionary psychologists are difficult or even impossible to directly test, so these scientists frequently rely on correlational studies and surveys. Further, many groups have lambasted evolutionary psychology as sexist, racist, regressive, and/or deterministic. References:
Last Updated: 01-24-2018 Leave a CommentUntangling the Branches in the Mammal Tree of LifeDec. 4, 2019 — Researchers have unveiled a complete overhaul of the way species data is brought together and analyzed to construct an evolutionary tree of life for mammals. It's aimed at giving scientists, ... Developmental Dyslexia Essential to Human Adaptive SuccessJune 24, 2022 — Researchers say people with developmental dyslexia have specific strengths relating to exploring the unknown that have contributed to the successful adaptation and survival of our ... Among Ecuador's Shuar, Researchers Find How Disgust Evolved as a Human EmotionFeb. 25, 2021 — When the pungent smell of rotting food sends a person running, that disgusted feeling is an evolved response that helps avoid exposure to pathogens, say anthropologists. In a project that blended ... Ancient Ancestors Evolved to Be Strong and SnappyMar. 18, 2022 — Researchers show that the earliest jaws in the fossil record were caught in a trade-off between maximizing their strength and their ... Fossil Suggests Apes, Old World Monkeys Moved in Opposite Directions from Shared AncestorNov. 8, 2019 — In terms of their body plan, Old World monkeys -- a group that includes primates like baboons and macaques -- are generally considered more similar to ancestral species than apes are. But a new study ... Apes' Inner Ears Could Hide Clues to Evolutionary History of HominoidsMar. 3, 2020 — Studying the inner ear of apes and humans could uncover new information on our species' evolutionary relationships, suggests a new ... Study Suggests That Most of Our Evolutionary Trees Could Be WrongJune 1, 2022 — New research suggests that determining evolutionary trees of organisms by comparing anatomy rather than gene sequences is misleading. The study shows that we often need to overturn centuries of ... Perplexing Fish-Like Fossil Finally ClassifiedMay 26, 2022 — For the first time since its discovery 130 years ago one of the most mysterious fossil vertebrates has finally been classified, increasing our possible understanding of the first animals to crawl on ... Where's My Horse-Sized Rabbit?Apr. 19, 2021 — Why don't we see rabbits rivaling the sizes of horses? Researchers investigated the fossil record and evolutionary history to report that larger herbivore competitors were one evolutionary ... Early Migrations of Siberians to America Tracked Using Bacterial Population StructuresJune 14, 2021 — Early migrations of humans to the Americas from Siberia around 12,000 years ago have been traced using the bacteria they carried by an international ... What do evolutionary psychologists try to do?The purpose of Evolutionary Psychology is to discover and explain these cognitive mechanisms that guide current human behavior because they have been selected for as solutions to the recurrent adaptive problems prevalent in the evolutionary environment of our ancestors.
What is an example of evolutionary psychology?For example, as the ability to recognize poisonous snakes was passed down through generations, evolutionary psychology theory says that our brains adapted to include instinctual fear and caution around snakes.
How do evolutionary psychologists treat people?How do evolutionary psychologists treat people? Evolutionary psychologists try to explain humanity and our behavior by looking at specific traits that were passed on from our ancestors and how these traits affect how we behave today.
Where would an evolutionary psychologist work?Most graduate-level professors conduct research in addition to their teaching duties. Other evolutionary psychologists focus solely on research. They may be employed by research facilities or institutes, independent laboratories, or by state or federal agencies.
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