Evolutionary Psychology

Abstract

Evolutionary Psychology: A Very Short Introduction examines human behaviour, emotion, cognition, and motivation as adaptive responses to the recurrent ecological and social challenges faced by early humans. It traces how natural selection and sexual selection have modified the brain and body over millions of years, and considers what those pressures mean for survival, reproduction, and social life. The book covers a wide range of topics, including food acquisition and pathogen avoidance, cooperation and group living, aggression and violence, parental investment, family structure, and long-term and short-term mating strategies. It draws on evidence from psychology, genetics, neuroscience, anthropology, cross-cultural research, and the fossil record to connect ancestral environments with contemporary patterns of thought and action. The book also engages critically with debates within the field, addressing the naturalistic fallacy, genetic determinism, adaptationism, the reliance on WEIRD populations, and the ethics of applying evolutionary frameworks to human behaviour. Throughout, it situates evolutionary psychology within the broader scientific context, acknowledging both its explanatory achievements and its unresolved questions. It is intended as an accessible introduction for readers encountering evolutionary psychology for the first time, as well as for those seeking a concise overview of the discipline’s core concepts, methods, and controversies.