Psychology and Evolution: The Origins of Mind / Edition 1

by Bruce Bridgeman

Overview

Psychology and Evolution: The Origins of Mind introduces students to the emerging field of evolutionary psychology. Bruce Bridgeman applies concepts of evolutionary theory to basic psychological functions to derive new insights into the roots of human behavior and how that behavior may be viewed as adaptation to life's significant challenges. Examining courtship, reproduction, child rearing, family relations, social interaction, and language development, Bridgeman uses evolutionary theory to help in the search to elucidate the foundations of human perceptions, experiences, and behaviors.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780761924791
Publisher:	SAGE Publications
Publication date:	02/06/2003
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	432
Product dimensions:	7.38(w) x 9.12(h) x (d)

About the Author

Bruce Bridgeman is a professor of Psychology and Psychobiology at the University of California, Santa Cruz, a position he has held since 1973. He received a Ph.D. in physiological psychology from Stanford University in 1971, working in the laboratory of Karl Pribram, and then held post-doctoral fellowships in Berlin, Germany, at the physiological institute of the Free University of Berlin, and in Berkeley, California, at the UC Berkeley School of Optometry. He is author or coauthor of more than 100 published scientific papers and has authored or coedited five books along with 25 chapters in edited volumes. Aside from evolutionary psychology, which he has taught since the early 1980s, he has taught behavioral neuroscience, introductory psychology and psychobiology, and graduate seminars in perception. His research interests include visual perception, eye movements, computer simulation of cognitive processes, spatial orientation, and of course evolutionary psychology. A fellow of the American Psychological Society and the Psychonomic Society, he has received research grants and fellowships from the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, The Max-Planck Society, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. As a lifelong choral singer, he has participated in international concert tours with the Cornell University Glee Club, the Berliner Konzert-chor, and the Santa Cruz Chorale.

Table of Contents

Preface
1. THE EVOLUTION REVOLUTION
Why Evolution? Social-Science Views of Humans. Nature versus Nurture? The Place of Evolutionary Psychology. History of Evolution in the Behavioral Sciences. Uses and Misuses of Evolution. How Evolution Works. Genetic Mechanisms of Evolution
2. THE PAST: 95% OF HUMAN HISTORY
Phylogenetic Origins. Human Prehistory.
3. COURTSHIP AND REPRODUCTIVE ADAPTATIONS
Sexual Reproduction. Reproductive Adaptations. Mate Selection.
4. CHILDREN AND CHILD-REARING
Pregnancy and Childbirth. Infancy and Early Childhood. Education. Relations with Caretakers.
5. FAMILY AND SOCIETY
Family Structure. Cooperation. Social Organization.
6. ECONOMIC AND PUBLIC LIFE
Large-scale Cooperation. Status and Social Dominance. Persistent Irrationalities of Human Action.
7. LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION
The Evolution of Language. The Structure of Language. Language Development in Children. The Anatomy Of Language. Functions of Language
8. PERCEPTION, MEMORY, AND CONSCIOUSNESS
Visual Perception. Memory. Consciousness and Planning.
9. EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHIATRY
Four Classes of Mental Illness. Exaggerations of Normal Behaviors. Balances of Costs and Benefits. Illnesses That Confer Only Costs. Drug Addictions. Drugs and Mental Illness. Conclusion - The Diverse Origins of Mental Illnesses
Glossary
References
Author Index
Subject Index

Editorial Reviews

"Bridgeman’s Psychology and Evolution is a superb textbook in evolutionary psychology…I see it as a landmark in the emergence of evolutionary psychology as no longer a controversial minority current but as a central aspect of the mainstream. The book reflects the state of the art in current work in evolutionary psychology…the reader is brought up-to-date about evolutionary theory, modern genetics, human prehistory, and relevant issues in modern linguistics. "

M. Brewster Smith

"This is an important book. Readers partial to evolutionary psychology, as well as those who remain skeptical, will benefit from a careful reading of this reader-friendly book…The author endorses the core assumptions of evolutionary psychology…but, refreshingly, he includes, often with a new slant, relevant material usually overlooked by both believers and skeptics. "

Andrew Neher