Q&A

Evolutionary Psychology

Can we better understand human psychology and behaviors by learning about our evolutionary past? Wind back the clock with Todd Shackelford, a world-leading expert in evolutionary psychology.

How can one get into the field of Evolutionary Psychology?

If you are interested in pursuing graduate education in evolutionary psychology, there are now many programs around the world that offer this specialized education. You can find a listing of these programs at the homepage of the Human Behaviour and Evolution Society (HBES), www.hbes.com. For an entry level introduction to the field, I recommend an article my colleagues and I published, available here: http://www.toddkshackelford.com/downloads/Buss-AP-1998.pdf. You can also find links to our recent books, articles, and chapters at my lab website, www.ToddKShackelford.com.

Does evolutionary psychology contribute theories to abnormal psychology?

There is a developing but already rich sub-field within evolutionary psychology that focuses on mental health and mental illness, typically referred to either as evolutionary psychiatry or clinical evolutionary psychology. Leading contributors to this field include Randy Nesse (https://www.randolphnesse.com/), Martin Brune (https://www.rd.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/neuro/wiss/pi/bruene/index.html.en), Cas Soper (www.soper.pt), and Jerry Wakefield (https://socialwork.nyu.edu/faculty-and-research/our-faculty/jerome-c-wakefield.html).

Are there key evolutionary models that can be applied to understand some of the functions that underpin mental health difficulties? What might be useful for mental health therapists to know?

Some of the most interesting work in this area has been contributed by evolutionary clinical psychologist Cas Soper (www.soper.pt). I recommend his recent books The Evolution of Suicide (https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-319-77300-1) and The Evolution of Life Worth Living (https://www.amazon.com/Evolution-Life-Worth-Living-choose/dp/1838343903).

Some evolutionary psychology hypotheses appear to be based on our current understanding of brain function. Do you think evolutionary psych will be impacted as neuroscience advances and more discoveries are made?

Indeed, evolutionary psychology has already been impacted by and, in turn, has impacted neuroscience. In fact, there is a fascinating sub-field known as “evolutionary cognitive neuroscience” that has developed over the past two decades. I recommend the MIT Press book, Evolutionary Cognitive Neuroscience (https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/evolutionary-cognitive-neuroscience), for an early introduction to this work.

What lessons could be taken from evolutionary psychology to prevent sexual violence against women?

Several evolutionary psychologists have investigated sexual violence against women, and much of this research provides insight into how such violence can be reduced or eliminated. For outstanding introductions to this work, I recommend three books written by David Buss (https://labs.la.utexas.edu/buss/david-buss/) for a general audience: The Evolution of Desire (revised edition) (https://www.amazon.com/Evolution-Desire-Strategies-Human-Mating/dp/0465097766/ref=pd_sbs_2?pd_rd_w=W8kfZ&pf_rd_p=de2765fe-65e5-4a88-aaad-a915dea49c67&pf_rd_r=ZD5V7JR8QXCQW8SSZHNG&pd_rd_r=807e193a-46fe-4654-a1fa-88b94aa1f143&pd_rd_wg=Zsb7T&pd_rd_i=0465097766&psc=1). The Dangerous Passion (https://www.amazon.com/Dangerous-Passion-David-Buss-Ph-D/dp/1451673132/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=dangerous+passion+david+buss&qid=1611077116&s=books&sr=1-1), and his most recent book, Why Men Behave Badly (https://www.amazon.com/When-Men-Behave-Badly-Harassment/dp/0316419354/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=david+buss&qid=1611070047&sr=8-5).

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