Evolutionary Social Psychology

Abstract

An evolutionary perspective provides a powerful overarching framework with which to understand a broad range of social psychological and behavioral processes. From interacting with family, friends, and romantic partners, to navigating status hierarchies, to protecting oneself from sources of violence, most social processes can be understood through the lens of evolutionary thinking. According to evolutionary social psychology, many social behaviors reflect the presence of adaptations – mechanisms that have been passed down through thousands of generations of human evolution, and that have been designed through natural and sexual selection to serve specific functions ultimately related to reproductive success. This chapter begins by describing some of the fundamental assumptions and conceptual tools of an evolutionary approach. The chapter then reviews a range of both classic and emerging research that has applied an evolutionary perspective to understand complex social behaviors. This review is organized around a number of distinct social domains, including coalition formation (e.g., social affiliation, cooperation, and rejection), social status hierarchies (e.g., power and dominance), self-protection from threat (e.g., avoiding forms of physical harm and disease), mating (e.g., romantic attraction and the maintenance of long-term committed relationships), and parental care. The chapter concludes by discussing some of the current trends in contemporary social psychology, including research that integrates evolution and culture, and research that ties evolved psychological mechanisms to the specific biological processes that underlie them.

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