Evolutionary perspective

Writing from a biologist's perspective, William McDougall (1919) proposed an evolutionary perspective on social behavior. McDougall proposed that the psychological predispositions that contribute to the survival of the human species drive social behavior. While the biologist looks for evidence of evolution by digging for bones, the fossils the evolutionary psychologist looks for are the “inherited psychological mechanisms we still carry around inside our heads” (Kenrick, Neuberg, & Cialdini, 2007, p. 495). Considering Darwin’s theory of evolution to understand how natural selection influences social behavior, evolutionary social psychology assumes that people inherit brains and genetics that help them deal with social situations.

The central concept of the evolutionary perspective is natural selection, the process by which animals pass survival and reproductive characteristics to offspring. Adaptability is a product of natural selection. The capacity for social interaction and the flexibility for adapting to a dynamic physical and social environment result from natural selection (McDougall, 1919; Pepitone, 1981; Kenrick, Neuberg, & Cialdini, 2007).

Evolutionary psychology initially gave credence to the nature side of the nature-versus-nurture debate by arguing that instinct is innate, hard-wired. However, in light of emerging discoveries in genetics and neurology, the evolutionary perspective is shifting to recognize that biological influences of behavior are flexible, responsive to the environment, and individual choice (Gangestad, Haselton, & Buss, 2006; Sinha, 2004). Though scientists are still seeking connections between specific genes and specific behaviors, genetics interact with internal and external forces to modulate behavior (Pepitone, 1981).

Evolutionary psychologists conduct cross-cultural and cross-species research to identify universal human behavior characteristics, not just differences in people. Beneath cultural differences and diversity classifications, evolutionary social psychologists see a “core of similarity” (Kenrick, Neuberg, & Cialdini, 2007, p. 495) that connects all human beings. The evolutionary perspective focuses on these shared characteristics to find general patterns in social behavior universal among all cultures. Differences also fall within the evolutionary lens. For example, the evolutionary perspective might explore how all cultures have developed marriage to strengthen families while also having an interest in the different strategies for survival and reproduction that exist within and among cultures. Evolutionary psychology proposes that, despite many variations across cultures, monogamous marriage between a single man and a single woman is a nearly universal feature of all cultures. Similarly, reciprocity rules are universal across cultures, while each culture has different variations for gift giving.

The evolutionary perspective also provides insights into the source of prejudice as an evolved psychological reaction that was a useful strategy for helping ancestors respond to strangers (Öhman, Lundqvist, & Esteves, 2001). Of course, believing the evolutionary premise for prejudice does not excuse prejudicial behavior in a modern context. The evolutionary perspective now realizes that human behavior is influenced by individual choice and environmental factors.

In short, although humans may seem dazzlingly different, the evolutionary social perspective provides insight into how all people have similar goals and concerns.