Evolutionary Psychology
| Code | School | Level | Credits | Semesters |
| PSGY3024 | Psychology | 3 | 10 | Spring Malaysia |
- Code
- PSGY3024
- School
- Psychology
- Level
- 3
- Credits
- 10
- Semesters
- Spring Malaysia
Summary
This module offers a broad overview of a new area of psychology: evolutionary psychology. Researchers in this field are interested in how the mind and behaviour evolved: why we evolved to feel fear, to fall in love, to talk and laugh and care for friends and family members. According to evolutionary psychologists, these things are not just products of learning or culture; they’re deep-seated aspects of human nature. Core topics covered in this module include:
• Psychological adaptations related to survival
• Sexual selection theory and romantic relationships
• Sex differences
• Kin selection theory and the family
• Altruism
• Aggression
• The evolution of language
• The evolution of intelligence
Target Students
Third year students from School of Psychology or Third year students from any school in UNM.
Classes
- One 2-hour tutorial
- One 2-hour lecture each week for 11 weeks
Assessment
- 100% Exam 1 (2-hour): one 2 hour exam, 30 MCQ and 1 essay
Assessed by end of spring semester
Educational Aims
To introduce students to this rapidly-growing area of psychological science; to develop students’ ability to evaluate competing explanations for a phenomenon and come to a (tentative but reasoned) conclusion; to develop students’ ability to discuss and constructively debate topics in psychology.Learning Outcomes
At the end of this course, students will:
•Understand the fundamental theories used in human evolutionary psychology (including natural selection, sexual selection, inclusive fitness, parent-offspring conflict, reciprocal altruism, and group selection).
•Be familiar with, and able to evaluate, the most important findings in evolutionary psychology (e.g., those related to the above theories).
•Understand and evaluate the various research strategies employed by evolutionary psychologists.
Conveners
- Dr Steve Stewart-Williams