Briefly at the end of Chapter 1 the concept of Evolutionary Psychology is discussed. It is still considered a rookie in the field of psychology as it has much to prove and a few kinks to sort out. Evolutionary psychology, more or less, believes Darwin's theory of natural selection modifies human and animal behavior. We all know Darwin's theory is keen on the fittest surviving, but what evolutionary psychology has us consider is if that mentality of the fittest surviving affects the values we deem better than others and pass onto the next generations.
For example, a study in the book suggests that male baldness contributes to evolutionary psychology by reinforcing that balding males are preferred by women because baldness indicates maturity.As such, if balding men are the choice meat of the day, they are then, assumingly, more likely to reproduce and create offspring who are likely to lose their hair.
Isn't he better bald? So mature-looking and fit for survival...
In all seriousness, I can see how the the thought of natural selection could be affected by our personal habits and trends and therefore change the way we behave as a race.That being said, this example is very subjective and somewhat hard to seriously consider. As the book reflects, it is much harder to research personality traits and preferences therefore making it difficult to determine the evolving functionality of said traits.
What say you fellow Psych 1001ers? Do you think Evolutionary Psychology will be a serious contender in the field of psychology some day or will it simply become extinct?
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