Evolutionary Psychology

Why do humans live in social groups?

What is the purpose of culture and why is it important?

How did human language develop and what distinguishes it from other animal communication systems?

Evolutionary Psychology offers a comprehensive and lucid overview of the main ideas, issues and debates in this field, tackling a wide range of fascinating questions that are pertinent to our understanding of modern life.

Uniquely, the book balances the three key perspectives on evolutionary theory, providing an insight into how our brain mechanisms, behavioural strategies and learning capacity have all contributed to our evolution. 

The book first guides the reader through the foundations of evolutionary psychology, drawing on research and key theories, before discussing the future directions of this field.

Topics are brought to life by features including:

• Focus boxes to explore topics in more detail to help develop your understanding
• Study questions to help you to reflect on what youve read
• Further reading suggestions to point the way to wider sources discover more about the areas youre interested in

About the author

Hans van de Braak is Associate Professor of Evolutionary Psychology at Erasmus University, Rotterdam.