Human Evolutionary Psychology
Why do people resort to plastic surgery to look young? Why are stepchildren at greatest risk of fatal abuse? Why do we prefer gossip to algebra? Why must Dogon wives live alone in a dark hut for five days a month? Why are young children good at learning language but not sharing? Over the past decade, psychologists and behavioral ecologists have been finding answers to such seemingly unrelated questions by applying an evolutionary perspective to the study of human behavior and psychology....
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"This is more than a much-needed comprehensive introductory text to the area. It is an antidote to the erroneous view that the evolutionary approach to human psychology and action is some monolithic view focused solely upon the concept of adaptation and reproductive success. As this book shows, it is many things, including the study of the causal powers and origins of human culture. If this book has a single message, it is long live pluralism."—Henry Plotkin, University College London"This is an impressive review of the literature on the evolution of human behavior, including human evolutionary ecology and psychology. It will be a useful teaching resource, and there is nothing quite like it currently available."—Ruth Mace, University College London"This well-written and balanced textbook presents the complexity of the debate over evolutionary psychology. A valuable addition to the teaching resources for the growing area of evolutionary psychology, it provides the foundational information that allows students to confront the primary source material."—Steven Scher, Eastern Illinois University Choice Creative synthesis that should play a significant role in the study of the impact of evolution on individuals and society.
PrefaceAcknowledgements1The Evolutionary Approach to Human Behaviour12Basics of Evolutionary Theory223Cooperation Among Kin454Reciprocity and Sharing675Mate Choice and Sexual Selection936Life-history Constraints and Reproductive Decisions1377Parental Investment Strategies1718Marriage and Inheritance2039The Individual in Society23510Cognition and the Modular Brain27011Social Cognition and Its Development29512Language32213Cultural Evolution351Glossary384References389Author index427Subject index430
\ New ScientistWritten with students in mind, Human Evolutionary Psychology is a highly readable and balanced account of EP's central concepts and conflicts, from altruism and mate choice to cultural evolution and the origins of language.\ \ \ \ \ ChoiceCreative synthesis that should play a significant role in the study of the impact of evolution on individuals and society.\ \
