Evolutionary Psychology: An Introduction

Front Cover
Cambridge University Press, Jun 19, 2008 - Psychology - 486 pages
Evolutionary psychology starts from the premise that the human brain is the product of natural selection; therefore, by adopting an evolutionary stance, we might come to better understand the mind and behaviour. The second edition of this highly acclaimed textbook gives an introduction to the fascinating science of evolutionary psychology covering its history, from the Ancient Greeks to the present day, and discusses how evolution can illuminate many of the topics taught in psychology departments. This new edition, now in 2 colour, includes an additional chapter on 'Evolution and Individual Differences' which discusses how evolution might account for differences in personality and intelligence. With an engaging style and user-friendly format featuring end-of-chapter summaries, critical thinking questions and guides to further reading, this is a stand-alone textbook for undergraduates studying evolutionary psychology.
 

Selected pages

Contents

Section 1
4
Section 2
9
Section 3
31
Section 4
32
Section 5
58
Section 6
62
Section 7
67
Section 8
77
Section 18
208
Section 19
210
Section 20
212
Section 21
229
Section 22
231
Section 23
248
Section 24
263
Section 25
307

Section 9
81
Section 10
117
Section 11
124
Section 12
135
Section 13
145
Section 14
153
Section 15
160
Section 16
182
Section 17
185
Section 26
336
Section 27
347
Section 28
350
Section 29
363
Section 30
368
Section 31
394
Section 32
400
Section 33
402
Section 34
431

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About the author (2008)

Lance Workman is Head of Psychology at Bath Spa University. His research interests include the lateralization of brain function in relation to language, emotion and depression within an evolutionary framework. He has also conducted a number of field projects on bird behaviour. Will Reader is a Senior Lecturer in Psychology at Sheffield Hallam University. His research interests are concerned with exploring the relationship between evolutionary theory and technology and he is currently researching the social use of technology.

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