What is Evolutionary Psycholgy? What is Evolutionary Psychology? Simply put: Evolutionary psychology is the combination of two sciences -- evolutionary biology and cognitive psychology. Introducing Evolutionary Psychology, Dylan Evans & Oscar Zarate, Totem Books, New York, 2000 Another explanation: Evolutionary psychology is the approach of explaining human behavior based on the combination of evolutionary biology, anthropology, cognitive science, and the neurosciences. Evolutionary psychology is not a specific sub field of psychology, such as the study of vision, reasoning, or social behavior.
It is a way of thinking about psychology that can be applied to any topic within it. Another explanation: Evolutionary psychology is the science that seeks to explain through universal mechanisms of behavior why humans act the way they do (See, Assumptions About EP to Help Guide You). Well, if we are not suited for the modern world, how and why did we make it this far? In Praise of Charles Darwin In praise of William D. As Ms. Comparative psychology. From the Encyclopædia Britannica comparative psychology, the study of similarities and differences in behavioral organization among living beings, from bacteria to plants to humans.
The discipline pays particular attention to the psychological nature of human beings in comparison with other animals. In the study of animals, comparative psychology concentrates on discerning qualitative as well as quantitative similarities and differences in animal (including human) behaviour. It has important applications in fields such as medicine, ecology, and animal training. With the rise of an experimental comparative psychology in the latter half of the 19th century and its rapid growth during the 20th, the study of lower animals has cast increasing light on human psychology in such areas as the development of individual behaviour, motivation, the nature and methods of learning, effects of drugs, and localization of brain function. Comparative psychology - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up) Id, Ego and Superego - Learn About the Id, Ego and Superego. According to Sigmund Freud's psychoanalytic theory of personality, personality is composed of three elements.
These three elements of personality--known as the id, the ego and the superego--work together to create complex human behaviors. The Id The id is the only component of personality that is present from birth. This aspect of personality is entirely unconscious and includes of the instinctive and primitive behaviors. According to Freud, the id is the source of all psychic energy, making it the primary component of personality. The id is driven by the pleasure principle, which strives for immediate gratification of all desires, wants, and needs. However, immediately satisfying these needs is not always realistic or even possible. The Ego The ego is the component of personality that is responsible for dealing with reality. The ego operates based on the reality principle, which strives to satisfy the id's desires in realistic and socially appropriate ways. The Superego. Evolutionary Psychology. 1. Evolutionary Psychology: One research tradition among the various biological approaches to explaining human behavior This entry focuses on the specific approach to evolutionary psychology that is conventionally named by the capitalized phrase “Evolutionary Psychology”.
This naming convention is David Buller's (2000; 2005) idea. He introduces the convention to distinguish a particular research tradition (Laudan 1977) from other approaches to the biology of human behavior.[1] This research tradition is the focus here but lower case is used throughout as no other types of evolutionary psychology are discussed. Evolutionary psychology rests upon specific theoretical principles (presented in section 2 below) not all of which are shared by others working in the biology of human behavior (Laland and Brown 2002). Paul Griffiths argues that evolutionary psychology owes theoretical debt to both sociobiology and ethology (Griffiths 2006; Griffiths 2008). 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Fields of Psychology. Behavioral Neuroscience Clinical Psychology Cognitive Psychology Counseling Developmental Disabilities Developmental Psychology Forensic Psychology Health Psychology Psycholinguistics Neuropsychology Educational and School Psychology Clinical-Personality-Social Cluster Experimental-Physiological-Comparative Cluster Industrial and Organizational Psychology Overlapping Fields of Psychology Courses fall into natural groupings, although these broadly defined areas of study can overlap.
In each of the three areas described above, some of the courses are introductory while others may have several prerequisites or may be open only to upperclassmen. The student who has not yet decided upon a sub-field of study related to his/her future career would do well to sample from the introductory courses in more than one area of psychology. Clinical-Personality-Social Cluster One area, which emphasizes the dynamics of human behavior, can be described as the clinical-personality-social cluster.
Psychology 101 - Introduction to Psychology. Behavioral Psychology. Behavioral psychology is a branch of psychology that focuses on observable behaviors. Conditioning, reinforcement and punishment are key concepts used by behaviorists. Learn more about classical conditioning and operant conditioning as well as some of the major behaviorist thinkers. Behavioral Psychology BasicsBehavioral psychology is one of the major topics taught in every introductory psychology course, yet many concepts that lie at the heart of this subject can be confusing for students.
If you’ve ever found yourself confusing the unconditioned stimulus with the conditioned stimulus, this basic tutorial is for you. What is Behaviorism? What is Behavior Analysis? Classical vs Operant ConditioningUnderstand how classical and operant conditioning differ in several important ways. Classical and Operant Conditioning Study GuideThis study guide offers an overview of classical and operant conditioning, including major thinkers and key terms.