Department of Psychology, Oakland University, Rochester, MI, USA.
Department of Psychology, Florida Atlantic University, Davie, FL, USA.
Wiley Interdiscip Rev Cogn Sci. 2014 May;5(3):247-60. doi: 10.1002/wcs.1281. Epub 2014 Feb 20.
The theory of evolution by natural selection provides the only scientific explanation for the existence of complex adaptations. The design features of the brain, like any organ, are the result of selection pressures operating over deep time. Evolutionary psychology posits that the human brain comprises a multitude of evolved psychological mechanisms, adaptations to specific and recurrent problems of survival and reproduction faced over human evolutionary history. Although some mistakenly view evolutionary psychology as promoting genetic determinism, evolutionary psychologists appreciate and emphasize the interactions between genes and environments. This approach to psychology has led to a richer understanding of a variety of psychological phenomena, and has provided a powerful foundation for generating novel hypotheses. Critics argue that evolutionary psychologists resort to storytelling, but as with any branch of science, empirical testing is a vital component of the field, with hypotheses standing or falling with the weight of the evidence. Evolutionary psychology is uniquely suited to provide a unifying theoretical framework for the disparate subdisciplines of psychology. An evolutionary perspective has provided insights into several subdisciplines of psychology, while simultaneously demonstrating the arbitrary nature of dividing psychological science into such subdisciplines. Evolutionary psychologists have amassed a substantial empirical and theoretical literature, but as a relatively new approach to psychology, many questions remain, with several promising directions for future research. For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website.
The authors have declared no conflicts of interest for this article.
自然选择的进化理论为复杂适应性的存在提供了唯一的科学解释。大脑的设计特征与任何器官一样，都是在深远的时间内受到选择压力作用的结果。进化心理学假设，人类大脑包含了许多进化而来的心理机制，这些机制是人类进化历史中应对特定和反复出现的生存和繁殖问题的适应。尽管有些人错误地认为进化心理学是在宣扬基因决定论，但进化心理学家欣赏并强调基因和环境之间的相互作用。这种心理学方法导致了对各种心理现象的更深入理解，并为生成新的假设提供了强大的基础。批评者认为进化心理学家诉诸于讲故事，但就像任何科学分支一样，实证检验是该领域的一个重要组成部分，假设的成立或失败取决于证据的重量。进化心理学是为心理学的不同分支提供统一理论框架的独特学科。进化观点为心理学的几个分支提供了深刻的见解，同时也展示了将心理科学划分为这些分支的任意性。进化心理学家积累了大量的实证和理论文献，但作为一种相对较新的心理学方法，仍有许多问题有待解决，未来研究有几个有前途的方向。欲获取本文相关的更多资源，请访问 WIREs 网站。
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