Evolutionary Psychology Research Articles

Recent empirical work on religious experience: New directions

AbstractNovel developments in neuroscience, psychology, and anthropology have spawned a thriving empirical literature on religious experience. Previous literature in the cognitive science of religion has largely ignored empirical results from these fields, focusing narrowly on results from evolutionary psychology. Additionally, it has ignored the epistemological relevance of non‐paradigmatic cases of religious experience discussed in the literature from these subspecialties. In this article I submit that philosophical research on religious experience should take empirical work outside of evolutionary psychology as its primary foci towards uncovering fresh perspectives. I focus on three different literatures from neuroscience, psychology, and anthropology as case studies for generating novel philosophical research. I show that empirically‐discovered factors related to non‐paradigmatic religious experiences raise crucial and unique epistemological questions.

A Biological Approach to Periorbital Aesthetics in Caucasian Females: A Review of the Literature.

The face plays an important role in human interactions, and the periorbital region is particularly important to allow recognition and attractiveness. There are several studies on the beauty of the periorbital region using a variety of methodologies, but few articles consider the attractiveness factors derived from evolutionary psychology such as symmetry, dimorphism, age and average, neoteny and facial expression. The aim of this study is to identify periorbital attractiveness criteria in Caucasian women based on experimental studies and to interpret them in the light of studies on biological attractiveness factors. A review of literature was conducted using PubMed (National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD), Cochrane Library Database (Wiley, Hoboken, NJ) and EMBASE (Elsevier, Amsterdam, the Netherlands). Studies published after March 20, 2022, were analyzed, and no date limit was applied in reference papers. The search strategy was focused on three main concepts: attractiveness AND evaluation AND facial feature of periorbital region. 780 articles were identified with this search strategy, 534 were excluded based on title and abstract and another 110 from full text assessment. 18 articles were finally included in the analysis. The main factors identified were an ascending intercanthal axis and eyebrow axis, a regular pretarsal plate as well as a well-defined upper lid crease, no scleral show, and an open eye fissure exposing the upper half of the iris. In our review we were able to identify objective anthropometric characteristics linked to biological attractiveness criteria that may be useful in preoperative planning and assessment of the periorbital region of patients.

The presence of ‘others’ increases prosociality: examining the role of dating Partner’s accompany on donation

ABSTRACT Research in the field of prosocial behavior has shown that the presence of others has a significant effect on individuals’ prosociality. However, no research has explored such an effect of romantic partner’s presence. Studies in evolutionary psychology have shown benevolence/prosociality as an important factor when choosing a romantic partner. Therefore, in the present study, we hypothesized that people will donate more in the presence of dating partners to maintain a positive impression on them. The research followed a mixed-method approach. The first study, a vignette-based experiment showed that people believed the presence of a dating partner significantly enhances the chances of donation. The second study was a between-subject experiment that confirmed the findings of study 1 from both donors’ and receivers’ perspectives. The third study was a qualitative investigation, where a semi-structured interview method was used to find out how and why the presence of a dating partner may influence donation. The interviews showed that the presence of dating partners increases prosociality mainly because donors want to make a good impression and project the right image of them in their partners’ eyes. The research overall suggests that the human need for self-presentation that projects them more socially likable shapes their willingness to extend a helping hand to others in the presence of their romantic partners.

Exploring the Concept of Parental Investment from an Evolutionary Psychology Perspective with an Emphasis on Investment Strategies for Adoptive Families: A Review of the Literature

Exploring the Concept of Parental Investment from an Evolutionary Psychology Perspective with an Emphasis on Investment Strategies for Adoptive Families: A Review of the Literature

An Approach to Evolutionary Sociology and its Implications for Theorizing on Socio-Cultural Evolution

A theoretical research program is outlined that seeks to use the Modern Synthesis in explaining human evolution, but also recognizes its limitations in explaining the evolution of socio-cultural systems. The universe, from a human perspective, is composed of physical, biological, and socio-cultural dimensions, each revealing unique properties and dynamics. In the case of the socio-cultural universe, modern evolutionary theory is relevant for some explanations, but not to the degree assumed by socio-biology, evolutionary psychology, and even co-evolutionary models. The program proposed is built around social network theory, cladistic analysis, and comparative neuro-anatomy, and outlines where biological analysis is appropriate and useful. An understanding of the biological basis of human behavior will allow sociologists to develop theoretical approaches to explaining the emergent properties of the socio-cultural universe. The strategy outlined will allow us to see what a mature evolutionary sociology can do: develop abstract theoretical laws about the dynamics of selection on socio-cultural formations in human societies.

Rethinking Instinct Theory from a Darwinian Perspective

The popularity of instinct theory—the core of Thorstein Veblen’s evolutionary methodology—waned with the rise of behavioral psychology in the 1920s, and resurges with the revival of evolutionary psychology in the 1980s. This study reexamines Charles Darwin’s theories of natural and sexual selection within Veblen’s theory. By tracing the origin of emulation, this study explores the human struggle for existence at both inter-species and individual levels, enhancing our understanding of Veblen’s theory as rooted in Darwinism and reinterpreted within Geoffrey Hodgson’s concept of emergence. Differing from Clarence Ayres’ dichotomy, analysis resituates Veblen’s instinct theory within contemporary evolutionary psychology.

Учение об инстинктах и эмоциях в монографии чарлза дарвина «Происхождение человека и половой отбор» как основа современной эволюционной психиатрии и психологии

The article presents an analysis of the doctrine of instincts and emotions in Charles Darwin's fundamental work “The Descent of Man and Sexual Selection” from the point of view of its significance for contemporary evolutionary psychiatry and psychology. Darwin believed that man has common instincts with animals (sexual love, self-preservation, maternal, social, etc.) and emotions (fear, suspicion, feelings of competition, sympathy; pleasure, suffering, vindictiveness, good nature, moral sense, etc.), and to substantiate this, he made systematic comparisons of the behavior of humans and animals of different species, arguing that with all the diversity of instincts, their number in humans is less than in animals. Darwin paid particular attention to animals that “gained from living” in close-knit communities. At the same time, Darwin did not see a fundamental difference between the mental abilities of humans and lower animals, noting that some species of higher animals also possess self-awareness. Most of the instincts, according to Darwin, were acquired by both people and animals through natural selection, operating by the “trial method,” because of that errors are often found in instincts. Darwin also believed that animals could suffer from insanity, but to a lesser extent than humans. In «The Descent of Man», Darwin outlined the problem of the existence of altruism and a “high level of morality”, which is relevant for contemporary evolutionary psychiatry and psychology. Аt the individual level of natural selection these traits may not bring any benefit to their owner (and even lead to his death as a result of self-sacrifice), and, it would seem, lead to the disappearance of owners of such qualities in subsequent generations.

Stability in social networks.

Dunbar's number is the cognitive limit of human beings to maintain stable relationships with other individuals in their social networks, and it is found to be 150. It is based on the neocortex size of humans. Usually, Dunbar's number and related phenomena are studied from the perspective of an individual. Dunbar's number also plays a crucial role in evolutionary psychology and allied areas. However, no study done so far has considered a couple who are in a stable relationship as a system from the perspective of Dunbar's number and its hierarchy layers. In this paper, we study the impact of Dunbar's number and Dunbar's hierarchy from the perspective of a couple by studying mathematically the conjoint Dunbar graphs for a couple. The cost of romance is the loss of almost two people from one's support network when a human being enters into a new relationship. Thus, we obtain mathematically that there is no significant change in one's friendship if human beings spend negligible time with their partners. Also, along with marriage and friendship development, we attempt to assess how a person's social network structure holds up over the course of a romantic relationship. The stability of personal social networks is discussed through soft set theory and balance theoretic approach.

Integrating rational and irrational factors towards explicating investment satisfaction and reinvestment intentions: a study in the context of direct residential real estate

Purpose The purpose of this study is to understand the investment decision-making of real estate investors in housing, highlighting the interplay between rational and irrational factors. In this study, investment satisfaction was a mediator, while reinvestment intention was the dependent variable. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative, cross-sectional and descriptive research design was used, gathering data from a sample of 550 residential real estate investors using a multi-stage stratified sampling technique. The partial least squares structural equation modelling disjoint two-stage approach was used for data analysis. This methodological approach allowed for an in-depth examination of the relationship between rational factors such as location, profitability, financial viability, environmental considerations and legal aspects alongside irrational factors including various biases like overconfidence, availability, anchoring, representative and information cascade. Findings This study strongly supports the adaptive market hypothesis, showing that residential real estate investor behaviour is dynamic, combining rational and irrational elements influenced by evolutionary psychology. This challenges traditional views of investment decision-making. It also establishes that behavioural biases, key to adapting to market changes, are crucial in shaping residential property market efficiency. Essentially, the study uncovers an evolving real estate investment landscape driven by evolutionary behavioural patterns. Research limitations/implications This research redefines rationality in behavioural finance by illustrating psychological biases as adaptive tools within the residential property market, urging a holistic integration of these insights into real estate investment theories. Practical implications The study reshapes property valuation models by blending economic and psychological perspectives, enhancing investor understanding and market efficiency. These interdisciplinary insights offer a blueprint for improved regulatory policies, investor education and targeted real estate marketing, fundamentally transforming the sector’s dynamics. Originality/value Unlike previous studies, the research uniquely integrates human cognitive behaviour theories from psychology and business studies, specifically in the context of residential property investment. This interdisciplinary approach offers a more nuanced understanding of investor behaviour.

Evolutionary Psychology and the Naturalization of Gender Inequality

This article explores the uses of evolutionary psychology in a corpus of 29 articles published by the online magazine Quillette. We show that while they openly rely on a rationalist, descriptive stance, Quillette contributors actively promote a range of normative views on science and the social world, including gender inequalities, with the stated goal to question the so-called “left-wing” and “blank slate” orthodoxies. In so doing, this magazine participates to the development and diffusion of a conservative meritocratic frame that strongly resembles the self-legitimizing discourses put forth by socially dominant groups, only in a naturalized form.

Dynamics of Learning in Neural Networks: A Gaussian Profile Approach

This article explores the impact of learning on the connection strengths between nodes in a recurrent associative attractor network, utilizing a Gaussian firing profile to simulate the adaptive nature of neural connections. Initially, the network exhibits uniform connec- tion strengths, symbolizing a naive state without prior learning. Through a computational model, we demonstrate how learning processes can dynamically adjust these connec- tions, emphasizing the strengthening of associations between spatially or functionally proximate nodes. The model employs a Gaussian function to adjust connection strengths based on node proximity, effectively mimicking biological learning mechanisms. Post- learning, nodes are reordered based on their connection strengths to reveal the emergent network structure, offering insights into how neural networks can evolve to represent and recall associative memories. This study not only sheds light on the fundamental aspects of neural plasticity but also provides a computational framework for simulating learning and memory formation in artificial neural networks.

Is Evolutionary Psychology a Scientific Revolution? A Bibliometric Analysis

ObjectiveThe emergence and growth of Evolutionary Psychology (EP) in the behavioral sciences has been characterized as a “scientific revolution” (e.g. Buss, 2020). According to Kuhn's framework, a scientific revolution in a discipline is marked by the emergence of a new, dominant school of thought, which eclipses all the other theories. The aim of this study was to assess quantitatively if EP may be regarded as a "scientific revolution" sensu Kuhn.Method I performed a bibliometric analysis of the prevalence of EP (broadly defined) in Psychology, and contrasted it with the prevalence of the socio-cultural approach, known as the Standard Social Science Model (SSSM) (Tooby & Cosmides, 1992).ResultsMy analysis reveals that the SSSM enjoys significantly greater prominence than EP and is growing at a swifter pace. My analysis also suggests that a “cultural evolutionary” approach, which integrates evolutionary and cross-cultural perspectives, is still underdeveloped.ConclusionsDespite being sympathetic to the claim that EP can potentially lead to a paradigm shift in the behavioral sciences, I argue that a prudent approach may involve recognizing the current state of affairs, envisioning realistic change, and building a more conceptually and methodologically heterogeneous research community in EP.

Understanding Female and Male Insights in Psychology: Who Thinks What?

Evolutionary psychology is the study of human psychological behavior. During childhood, men and women behave similarly; however, as a child approaches puberty, new physical and behavioral changes emerge. Behavioral psychology focuses on understanding the functioning and thought processes of the human mind. The general population lacks knowledge of basic behavioral differences between men and women, leaving them unaware of their role, limitations, societal responsibilities, resulting in an underestimation of their own natural talents and biology. Thus, people tend to follow societal norms rather than exploring and utilizing their natural talents. The current review was designed and conducted to enforce compression on behavioral psychology in both genders as well as to identify variations in hormonal activity and sexual preferences.

Ketika kekerasan dianggap seksi: persepsi laki-laki bahwa perempuan suka kekerasan memicu pola pikir ekstremis militan

Inspired by the paradigm of mate selection motives in evolutionary psychology, this research seeks to determine the extent to which violent extremist thought patterns are a product of perceptions of attractiveness that persist in men as a response to intrasexual selection. The survey was conducted on 192 samples of the general population in Indonesia, on a male sample (n = 80), after controlling for demographic variables, including dark personality (dark triad), men's subjective perception that Indonesian women find violence attractive (PAOSV) predicts militant-extremist mindset. PAOSV was the only variable that predicted violent extremism mindset in men. Furthermore, we discovered a mechanism that we call “sexualization of violence” – namely the extent to which individuals perceive violence as sexy, manly, and cool (AV) as a process that arises from the perception of high levels of positive feedback from the opposite sex towards violence. Where in the sample of men in this study, the only variable that shaped the mindset of violent extremism was sexual motives. The discussion elaborate differences in perceptions of attraction to violence between men and women, differentiation and gaps in perceptions between men and women in assessing violence. This study has practical implications, namely discussing the importance of the role of women as active agents in the formation of a culture of nonviolence.

What Do Different People Look for in a Partner? Effects of Sex, Sexual Orientation, and Mating Strategies on Partner Preferences.

Partner preferences are an important differential in relationship formation and evolutionary fitness, and vary according to individual, ecological, and social factors. In this study, we evaluated the variation in preference for intelligence, kindness, physical attractiveness, health, and socioeconomic level among individuals of different sexes and sexual orientations in a Brazilian sample. We analyzed the preference scores of 778 heterosexual, bisexual, and homosexual men and women in three budgeted mate design tasks (low vs. medium vs. high budget) and their association with sociosexuality, attachment styles, homogamy, and willingness to engage in short- and long-term relationships. Results indicated a global trait preference order, with intelligence ranking first, followed by kindness, physical attractiveness, health, and lastly by socioeconomic status. Typical sex differences were observed mostly within the heterosexual group, and specific combinations of sex and sexual orientation were linked to variation in preference for physical attractiveness, kindness, and socioeconomic status. We also found unique associations of the other variables with partner preferences and with willingness to engage in short- or long-term relationships. By exploring the partner preferences of non-heterosexual individuals from a Latin American country, an underrepresented group in evolutionary psychology research, our results help understand the universal and specific factors that guide partner preferences and human sexual behavior.

Enjoying art: an evolutionary perspective on the esthetic experience from emotion elicitors.

The ubiquity of human art prompted evolutionary psychologists to explore its origins as a potential adaptation to the environment. Here we focus on emotionally charged art and posit that affective affordances embedded into some artworks play a pivotal role in explaining why these artworks are enjoyed from an evolutionary perspective. Such features, recurring in various art forms, are interpreted as cues to the emotional state of others, enabling art consumers to engage in empathetic experiences and vicarious emotions. We explore the adaptive value of deriving pleasure from vicarious emotions, while also addressing the seemingly counterintuitive enjoyment of artworks that evoke negative emotions. We discuss the appreciation of vicarious emotions irrespective of their valence and maintain this appreciation to hold adaptive significance for three key reasons. Firstly, it aids art consumers in refining their interpretational schemes of internal states, potentially enhancing emotional regulation skills. Secondly, it contributes to a deeper understanding of the emotions of others, thereby fostering emotional intelligence and empathy. Lastly, the enjoyment of affectively charged artworks reinforces social cohesion by harmonizing the emotions of group members. This perspective provides a comprehensive framework for understanding the evolutionary underpinnings of the human capacity for art appreciation and emotional engagement.

Users’ reactions to website designs: A neuroimaging study based on evolutionary psychology with a focus on color and button shape

Website design decisions consider visual stimuli that have a significant impact on user behavior. We use evolutionary psychology as a theoretical lens for studying the effects of color and shapes on e-commerce websites. Referring to their evolutionary meaning, we derive hypotheses that are tested in a neuroimaging experiment utilizing functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). The self-report results reveal significantly more pleasure, arousal, less distrust, and positive attitude toward colored versus uncolored websites. Neural results reveal a deactivation in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) when comparing colored versus uncolored websites. Further, a significant deactivation in the left medial PFC areas and the left dlPFC is identified for the blue website. These results signify a cognitive relief for the use of color on websites in general, and for the use of blue in particular. For button shape, significant increases in the dorsomedial PFC, as well as in the right medial PFC areas, were identified for rounded shapes. These results signify users’ preference toward interaction with rounded rather than sharp button shapes on websites. Altogether, the present study shows that neural mechanisms indicate how the meaning of website elements is still derived from their evolutionary meaning, and that users are not necessarily aware of this.

Fertility Fails to Predict Voter Preference for the 2020 Election: A Pre-Registered Replication of Navarrete et al. (2010).

As part of the Systematizing Confidence in Open Research and Evidence (SCORE) program, the present study reassesses the claim made in Navarrete et al. (2010) Study 1, that women's voter preference for male candidates who demonstrate cues of strong genetic fitness increases across the reproductive cycle as a function of conception risk. We report an attempt to conceptually replicate these findings, modifying the outcome variables for voter preference to reflect the 2020 election rather than the 2008 election, while maintaining fidelity to the original study by including Barack Obama as a candidate. Contrary to the original findings, conception risk did not predict greater voter support for Obama as a younger, more attractive alternative to Donald J. Trump, nor was conception risk a significant factor in other matchups we presented to participants. Candidate intelligence and participant psychopathy scores on the Dark Triad were found to be factors in preference for Obama/Biden or Trump, respectively. We discuss these results in the context of evolutionary and political psychology, suggesting the need for further research that takes political factors into account.

What COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Disparity Reveals About Solidarity

What COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Disparity Reveals About Solidarity

Towards an aesthetics of grammar learning: lifting the veil on language

The last few decades have seen growing interest in the field of disciplinary aesthetics. While the physical sciences and mathematics have attracted significant interest in this area, relatively little attention has been given to the aesthetic potential of learning about the structure of one’s own native language. Within this paper, we bring together ideas from evolutionary aesthetics, philosophy, psychology and neuroscience to explore the question of what might characterize an aesthetics of grammar learning. The paper connects our previous empirical findings with theoretical developments across these disciplines. We argue that explicit grammar learning has a particular potential to evoke aesthetic experience due to its role as a mediator between procedural and declarative knowledge. We suggest that by facilitating the transformation from knowhow to knowledge, grammar learning has the potential to generate cognitive consonance, experienced as an aesthetic-epistemic feeling of fittingness. The discussion draws parallels between the characteristics of grammar and the properties of entities more traditionally conceived to be aesthetic (such as art works and performances). In particular, we note that meta-linguistic labels (grammar terms) provide concrete tokens which facilitate virtual models, supporting the transition from ‘automatism’ to ‘conscious reflection’. The paper concludes by exploring the implications for the field of disciplinary aesthetics and for developing pedagogies which maximize the aesthetic potential of grammar.