Applied Evolutionary Psychology

Human behaviour is marvellous in its complexity, variability and unpredictability. Understanding it, however, is not solely the role of psychologists: everyone has a vested interest in it, from individuals to organisations and industry. Recently, biologists and psychologists have had considerable success incorporating insights from evolutionary theory to help them understand some fundamental psychological issues, in a discipline now known as evolutionary psychology. However, to date, these useful insights have not been widely applied to tackle specific practical problems or issues in society. This innovative new book kick-starts this process. It provides a foundation for an incipient focus on applications of evolutionary research. It draws together a collection of renowned academics from a disparate set of fields, whose common interest lies in using evolutionary thinking to inform their research. Topics range from reviews of evolutionary perspectives on adult and family relationships, insights into business, economics and marketing, health and interactions with technology and the media, through to major global and societal issues such as promoting green behaviour, cooperation, and public health, and tackling crime, terrorism, and prejudice. No other book has focused as specifically and with such broad scope on the applications of modern evolutionary psychology. While the rapidly growing number of books on evolutionary psychology succeed in describing current theoretical thinking, illustrated and supported by empirical studies, this book uses this established basis as a backdrop and starting point for a more focused exploration of practical application. This groundbreaking book will be valuable for students and researchers in evolutionary and applied psychology, as well as biology and anthropology. Cover......Page 1 Contents......Page 8 List of abbreviations......Page 10 List of contributors......Page 12 1 Applying evolutionary psychology......Page 14 Section 1 Business......Page 18 2 The evolutionary psychology of economics......Page 20 3 The evolution of business and management......Page 29 4 The social animal within organizations......Page 49 Section 2 Family......Page 66 5 The evolved child: adapted to family life......Page 68 6 Application of evolutionary psychology to academic learning......Page 91 7 Serial monogamy and clandestine adultery: evolution and consequences of the dual human reproductive strategy......Page 106 Section 3 Society......Page 126 8 The evolutionary psychology of mass politics......Page 128 9 Gender equity issues in evolutionary perspective......Page 144 10 The evolution of charitable behaviour and the power of reputation......Page 162 11 Altruism as showing off: a signalling perspective on promoting green behaviour and acts of kindness......Page 186 12 Evolutionary perspectives on intergroup prejudice: implications for promoting tolerance......Page 199 13 The evolutionary psychology of criminal behaviour......Page 214 14 War, martyrdom, and terror: evolutionary underpinnings of the moral imperative to extreme group violence......Page 235 15 Evolutionary theory and behavioural biology research: implications for law......Page 252 Section 4 Health......Page 270 16 Motivational mismatch: evolved motives as the source of—and solution to—global public health problems......Page 272 17 Mental health and well-being: clinical applications of Darwinian psychiatry......Page 289 18 Evolutionary perspectives on sport and competition......Page 303 Section 5 Marketing and communication......Page 322 19 Why we buy: evolution, marketing, and consumer behaviour......Page 324 20 Evolutionary psychology and perfume design......Page 343 21 Television programming and the audience......Page 362 22 News as reality-inducing, survival-relevant, and gender-specific stimuli......Page 374 Section 6 Technology......Page 392 23 Media naturalness theory: human evolution and behaviour towards electronic communication technologies......Page 394 24 Evolutionary psychology, demography, and driver safety research: a theoretical synthesis......Page 412 25 Evolutionary robotics......Page 427 B......Page 440 C......Page 441 E......Page 442 G......Page 443 I......Page 444 M......Page 445 P......Page 446 S......Page 447 V......Page 448 Z......Page 449 Applying evolutionary psychology / S. Craig Roberts The evolutionary psychology of economics / Paul H. Rubin and C. Monica Capra The evolution of business and management / Nigel Nicholson The social animal within organizations / Abraham P. Buunk and Pieternel Dijkstra The evolved child : adapted to family life / David F. Bjorklund and Patrick Douglas Sellers II Application of evolutionary psychology to academic learning / David C. Geary Serial monogamy and clandestine adultery : evolution and consequences of the dual human reproductive strategy / Helen E. Fisher The evolutionary psychology of mass politics / Michael Bang Petersen Gender equity issues in evolutionary perspective / Bobbi S. Low The evolution of charitable behaviour and the power of reputation / Pat Barclay Altruism as showing off : a signalling perspective on promoting green behaviour and acts of kindness / Wendy Iredale and Mark van Vugt Evolutionary perspectives on intergroup prejudice : implications for promoting tolerance / Justin H. Park The evolutionary psychology of criminal behaviour / Aurelio José Figueredo, Paul Robert Gladden, and Zachary Hohman War, martyrdom, and terror : evolutionary underpinnings of the moral imperative to extreme group violence / Scott Atran Evolutionary theory and behavioural biology research: implications for law / David J. Herring Motivational mismatch : evolved motives as the source of, and solution to, global public health problems / Valerie Curtis and Robert Aunger Mental health and well-being : clinical applications of Darwinian psychiatry / Alfonso Troisi Evolutionary perspectives on sport and competition / Diana Wiedemann, Robert A. Barton, and Russell A. Hill Why we buy : evolution, marketing, and consumer behaviour / Vladas Griskevicius, Joshua M. Ackerman, and Joseph P. Redden Evolutionary psychology and perfume design / S. Craig Roberts and Jan Havlicek Television programming and the audience / Charlotte De Backer News as reality-inducing, survival-relevant, and gender-specific stimuli / Maria Elizabeth Grabe Media naturalness theory : human evolution and behaviour towards electronic communication technologies / Ned Kock Evolutionary psychology, demography, and driver safety research : a theoretical synthesis / David L. Wiesenthal and Deanna M. Singhal Evolutionary robotics / Dylan Evans and Walter de Back. Human behaviour is marvellous in its complexity, variability, and unpredictability Understanding it, however, is not solely the role of psychologists: everyone has a vested interest in it, from individuals to organizations and industry. Recently, biologists and psychologists have had considerable success by incorporating insights from evolutionary theory to understand some fundamental psychological issues, in a discipline now known as evolutionary psychology. However, to date these useful insights have not been widely applied to tackle specific practical problems or issues in society No other book has focused as specifically and with such broad scope on the applications of modern evolutionary psychology. The rapidly growing number of books on evolutionary psychology describe current theoretical thinking, illustrated and supported by empirical studies. In contrast, this book uses this established basis as a backdrop and starting point for a more focused exploration of its practical application. Book jacket This is the first book to overtly consider how basic evolutionary thinking is being applied to a wide range of special social, economic, and technical problems. It draws together a collection of renowned academics from a very disparate set of fields, whose common interest lies in using evolutionary thinking to inform their research. This title considers how basic evolutionary thinking is being applied to a wide range of special social, economic, and technical problems. It draws together a collection of renowned academics from a very disparate set of fields, whose common interest lies in using evolutionary thinking to inform their research.