The Future of Evolutionary Psychology

Abstract

Several years ago, I occasionally had a depressing thought about the future of our field. The image was that, a century into the future, evolutionary psychology would be seen as merely a footnote in the history of psychology, sort of like phrenology-an intriguing idea, perhaps, but one that had not panned out. The field had concluded, in this nightmare vision, that evolution had left no mark on the human mind. As the research within the past decade and the reflections of 14 thoughtful commentators demonstrate, however, my previously feared scenario now seems inconceivable. Theoretical precision will improve, to be sure. The limits and constraints of evolutionary psychological models will be probed. The empirical data base will become more extensive, refined, and sophisticated. But, if the commentator's reactions are any guide, evolutionary psychology is here to stay. One of the astonishing facts that unites 13 of the 14 commentators is this: They accept the fundamental premise that psychological science must be anchored or informed by evolutionary principles. I am not so naive as to believe that this reflects the view of all psychologists. It does not. Resistance, skepticism, and even overt hostility to evolutionary approaches continue to be seen from some quarters, albeit in increasingly muted form (see Kenrick's commentary). Nonetheless, it is inconceivable that a decade ago so many scientists with such diverse backgrounds and theoretical perspectives would come to a consensus on the centrality of evolution for the discipline of psychological science. Although the views of the 14 commentators are undoubtedly unrepresentative in many ways, they do reflect the solid foothold that evolutionary psychology has achieved within the field of psychology over the past decade. Most major introductory psychology textbooks now have extensive treatments of evolutionary psychology. Nearly all introductory social and personality texts have extensive discussions of evolutionary psychology, most notably in sections on human attraction, sexuality, and mating. Given the mushrooming empirical data base, it is safe to predict that these sections will expand in the coming years. As Simpson observes, evolutionary psychology is a paradigm whose time has come. Now those who fail to understand the basics of inclusive-fitness theory, sexualselection theory, and parental-investment theory are increasingly found only among the backwaters of academia.