Evolutionary Psychology
85-352
This
class is intended to acquaint students with the emerging field of evolutionary
psychology. Concepts and principles of human evolution will be developed in the
context of classic and contemporary issues in cognitive, developmental,
personality, and social psychology. The instructor will introduce the key
concepts, issues, and lines of research, but in each case students are expected
to take an active role in discussing and developing the topic under
consideration. We will examine the relevance of evolutionary thinking to a
range of psychological phenomena including problems of survival, long-term
mating strategies, short-term sexual strategies, parenting, kinship,
cooperative alliances, aggression and warfare, conflict between the sexes, and
prestige, status, and social dominance. We will also examine more briefly
evolutionary approaches to development, cognition, and language.
Required textbooks: David M. Buss
(2007). Evolutionary Psychology: The new science of the mind. Third edition. New York: Allyn and Bacon.