Evolutionary Psychology – An Approach in Psychology

Evolutionary psychology (or EP) proposes that human and primate cognition and behavior can be better understood in light of human and primate evolutionary history. Specifically, EP proposes the primate brain comprises many functional mechanisms, called psychological adaptations or evolved psychological mechanisms (EPMs), that evolved by natural selection to benefit the survival and reproduction of the organism. These mechanisms are universal in the species, excepting those specific to sex or age. Uncontroversial EPMs include vision, hearing, memory, and motor control. More controversial examples include differences in male and female mating preferences and strategies, temperaments and cognitive abilities, incest avoidance mechanisms, cheater detection mechanisms and capture-bonding.
The main sources of evolutionary psychology are cognitive psychology, genetics, ethology, anthropology, biology, and zoology. The term evolutionary psychology was probably coined by Ghiselin in his 1973 article in Science. Leda Cosmides and John Tooby popularized the term in their highly influential 1992 book The Adapted Mind: Evolutionary Psychology and The Generation of Culture (ISBN 0195101073).
Evolutionary psychology has been applied to the study of many fields, including economics, aggression, law, psychiatry, politics, literature, and sex. Evolutionary psychology is closely linked to the field of sociobiology, but there are key differences between them including the emphasis on domain-specific rather than domain-general faculties, the relevance of measures of current fitness, the importance of mismatch theory, and psychology rather than behaviour. Read more

How do You Feel about Seeking Therapy?

Unfortunately, many of us feel as if we are on the verge of burnout. We feel as if we have to worry about our children, our jobs, and our relationships. At times, we may feel as if we are spinning out of control.

It is as if we are engaging in a high wire act without a net. We become frustrated and angry with ourselves because we don’t think we’re achieving our potential. We can literally become lost in a sea of worry.

At one time, seeking therapy for such feelings of anxiety would have been considered socially unacceptable. A few decades ago, many people considered therapy to be an indulgence.

Mental health counseling had an incredible stigma attached to it. However, today we see celebrities including: Read more