Evolutionary Psychology

Paper Summary:

This paper defines evolutionary psychology. It explores this new field of psychology as it relates to traditional perspectives on the development of personality. The paper expands on the development of this field and also offers some incite into its future.

Table of Contents:
New Theories on Personality
Key Evolutionary Arguments
Early Evolutionary Psychologists
An Argument For Evolutionary Psychology
The Future of Evolutionary Psychology
Works Cited

From the Paper:

"If all learning were innate then the newborn would be born with all of the knowledge that it would ever need for the rest of its life. Our learning goes beyond the acquisition of our basic needs. It is possible to surmise that for an in fact there is some innate learning that has taken place. However, babies do not know how to read a book, play chess, drive a car, or build a house. They must learn these skills through other means. Everything that we know is not coded into our genes. We must acquire it through various teachers."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Caporael, L. (2001). Evolutionary Psychology: Toward a Unifying Theory and a Hybrid Science. Annual Review of Psychology: 607. Retrieved July 4, 2006 from http://www.questia.com.
• Cosmides and Tooby (1992). Cognitive adaptations for social exchange. In Barkow, Cosmides, and Tooby (Eds.), The adapted mind: Evolutionary psychology and the generation of culture. New York: Oxford University Press.
• Eisenman, R. (2003). Why Evolutionary Psychology Is Not Mere Speculation or "Just So" Stories: With Examples from Human Sexuality and from Narratives. Journal of Evolutionary Psychology. 24 (3-4): 128. Retrieved July 4, 2006 from http://www.questia.com.
• Fikes, T. (2001). Evolutionary Psychology as Computational Theory in the Cognitive Sciences. Journal of Psychology and Theology. 29 (4): 21. Retrieved July 4, 2006 from http://www.questia.com.
• Grace, C. (2001). The Pleistocene Mind: A Critical Review of Evolutionary Psychology, and an Introduction to Intelligent Design Psychology. Journal of Psychology and Theology. 29 (4): 289. Retrieved July 4, 2006 from http://www.questia.com.

More papers on Evolutionary Psychology:

• Essay # 68110 : "Evolutionary Psychology "
• Comparison Essay # 109377 : "Evolutionary Psychology vs. Behavioral Ecology"
• Comparison Essay # 25250 : "Darwinian Anthropology and Evolutionary Psychology"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: