Evolutionary Psychology

URL study guide

https://studiegids.vu.nl/en/courses/2024-2025/P_BEVOLPS

Course Objective

The course will introduce students to -
- and familiarize them -
- with the main theories, concepts, and research findings in the emerging scientific discipline of Evolutionary Psychology. The main goal of the course is to give students insights into why humans behave the way they do by viewing them through an evolutionary lens (the way a biologist would look at a particular animal species). Central in this course is the question whether certain human attributes, traits and behaviors are products of evolved psychological mechanisms that enabled our ancestors to solve various problems related to their survival and reproduction. Examples include psychological adaptations for finding a partner, for (grand)parenting, altruism, aggression, working, leading, status and self-defense. During the course you will get insights into some basic questions about human nature:Where did humans evolve?What do genes tell about our behavior?What explains our relatively big brain size?How do men and women differ in their sexual strategies?Why do we prefer certain foods over others?What is the evolutionary logic behind warfare?Is religion an adaptation or byproduct?How does cultural evolution work?Why do we talk, sing, dance, play and watch sports?

Course Content

This course trains students in how to explain human psychology and behavior from an evolutionary perspective by using insights from evolutionary psychology, biology and anthropology. During the course we will use evolutionary psychology to understand such topics as human sexuality, aggression, cooperation, parenting, religion and culture (among other things). The course consists of frontal lectures, assignments and a final, end-of-course exam..

Teaching Methods

Lectures and two written assignments.(essays)

Method of Assessment

End-of-course exam with around 70 multiple choice questions and two written essay-assignments during the course. The assignments do not count towards the final grade but need to be passed to avoid 1 point grade-deduction from the final. No AI-language model can be used for the essays. grade. The assignment passes are only valid for the year in which the examination is taken.

Literature

Buss, D. M. (2019). Evolutionary Psychology: The New Science of the Mind (sixth edition). Routledge. Plus relevant scientific articles as conveyed by the teacher through Canvas.

Target Audience

VU students

Custom Course Registration

NA

Additional Information

This course is also part of the University Minor Psychology and the Brain. There is room for max 50 VU University minor students.

Entry Requirements

NO

Recommended background knowledge

Some basic knowledge of psychology and some training in statistics and methods in psychology is desirable

Explanation Canvas

Information regarding the course will be available on Canvas (from August)