The Perils and Prospects of Evolutionary Psychology Criticisms of evolutionary psychology. The problem of genetic essentialism. Some solutions to the problem. Prospects. Evolutionary psychology thus far. Evolutionary psychology in the future.

Perils

“It’s unfalsifiable” “It’s unnecessary” “It’s dangerous” “Evolutionary psychology provides some of the most important tools for unlocking the mysteries of where we came from, how we arrived at our current state, and the mechanisms of mind that define what it means to be human.”  “It’s unfalsifiable” “It’s unnecessary” “It’s dangerous”

_______ Actual focus of theories and hypotheses in ev.psych. Logical basis for theories and hypotheses in ev.psych. “It’s unfalsifiable” “It’s unnecessary” “It’s dangerous”

_______ _______ Traditional focus of psychology research The evolutionary part of evolutionary psychology Useful for discovery of psychological phenomena Necessary for “ultimate” explanation of psychological phenomena “It’s unfalsifiable” _______ “It’s unnecessary” “It’s dangerous”

__________________ ________________ _______ _______ ? “An evolutionary origin of some sort implies a genetic basis of some sort, which implies that there’s nothing anyone can do about it, and we just gotta accept it.” __________________ ________________ _______ “It’s unfalsifiable” _______ “It’s unnecessary” ? “It’s dangerous” Dawkins (end of Chapter 11): “We have the power to defy the selfish genes of our birth… We are built as gene machines…but we have the power to turn against our creators. We, alone on earth, can rebel against the tyranny of the selfish replicators.”

_______ _______ ? “An evolutionary origin of some sort implies a genetic basis of some sort, which implies that there’s nothing anyone can do about it, and we just gotta accept it.” _______ “It’s unfalsifiable” _______ “It’s unnecessary” Genetic essentialism ? “It’s dangerous”

* _______ _______ Some research results: - After reading a genetic explanation for obesity, people ate more cookies. (Dar-Nimrod, Cheung, Ruby, & Heine, 2014) - After reading a genetic explanation for sex differences in math performance, women performed less well on a math test. (Dar-Nimrod & Heine, 2006) - After reading an evolutionary explanation for rape, people recommended a more lenient sentence for a convicted rapist. (Dar-Nimrod, Heine, Cheung, & Schaller, 2011) _______ “It’s unfalsifiable” _______ Nature vs. nurture fallacy “It’s unnecessary” * “It’s dangerous if it’s done badly” Determinism fallacy Naturalistic fallacy

How can we best use the tools of evolutionary psychology (and talk about the results), in order to maximize their benefits while minimizing the perils that follow from misunderstandings? “Evolutionary psychology provides some of the most important tools for unlocking the mysteries of where we came from, how we arrived at our current state, and the mechanisms of mind that define what it means to be human.” 

Prospects

Cognition, affect, behavior in the here and now cognitive, affective, and behavioral neuroscience How the nervous system actually works anatomy and physiology Development of the human nervous system developmental biology Actual genetic stuff that characterizes contemporary humans evolutionary biology; population genetics Specific selection pressures on ancestral populations.

Evolutionary Psychology Cognition, affect, behavior in the here and now Evolutionary Psychology (thus far) How the nervous system actually works Development of the human nervous system Actual genetic stuff that characterizes contemporary humans Specific selection pressures on ancestral populations.

Evolutionary Psychology Cognition, affect, behavior in the here and now Evolutionary Psychology (in the future) How the nervous system actually works Development of the human nervous system Actual genetic stuff that characterizes contemporary humans Specific selection pressures on ancestral populations.

“The evolutionary perspective on psychology has the power to fundamentally change how you understand yourself, your fellow humans, and your relationship to the birds, the bees, and your pet dog. Getting a good grasp on this perspective is like turning on a light inside your head: It is both illuminating and exciting. And once people get it—that is, once they understand how to think in evolutionary terms—they never turn back.”