The Evolution of Mind: Fundamental Questions and Controversies

by Steven W. Gangestad

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Author: Steven W. Gangestad

Publisher: The Guilford Press

Hardcover:
ISBN 10: 9781593854089
ISBN 13: 978-1593854089

In the past two decades, an explosion of research has generated many compelling insights--as well as hotly debated controversies--about the evolutionary bases of human nature. This important volume brings together leading proponents of different theoretical and methodological perspectives to provide a balanced look at 12 key questions at the core of the field today. In 43 concise, accessible chapters, followed by an integrative conclusion, the contributors present viewpoints informed by human behavioral ecology, evolutionary psychology, and gene-culture coevolutionary approaches. Topics include the strengths and limitations of different methodologies; metatheoretical issues; and debates concerning the evolution of the human brain, intellectual abilities, culture, and sexual behavior.

Review

"Evolution of Mind demonstrates that a disciplinary realignment, underway for more than three decades, is now virtually complete. We have moved away from traditional disciplinary identities and, in the words of the editors, toward an integrative human evolutionary behavioral science. This innovative volume captures this exciting moment with short, insightful essays from dozens of leading scholars from throughout the social, behavioral, and life sciences. The contributors focus on 12 important issues in the evolutionary study of the mind and behavior, highlighting points of consensus, areas of controversy, and important new directions. Scholars will find this book essential to their efforts to keep abreast of current trends in this new field, and the range and brevity of its chapters make it a perfect source of stimulating readings for graduate and advanced undergraduate courses."--Lee Cronk, PhD, Department of Anthropology and Center for Human Evolutionary Studies, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

"Don’t be fooled by the deceptive simplicity of Darwin’s elegant theory, or the polarized debates about evolutionary social science. Instead, get it right by reading this magnificent volume of concise page-turners on the evolution of the human mind. Gangestad and Simpson set out to nudge the progress of this vibrant new science by squarely addressing its internal controversies in the words of the experts themselves. The book is a huge success--forget nudging, the field leaps forward! A 'must read' for anyone who really wants to understand the profound ways evolution has shaped human behavior. This book is a true intellectual adventure."--Martie G. Haselton, PhD, Department of Communication Studies and Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles

"This volume covers enormous ground. Its refreshingly unique and surprisingly effective format results in a series of pithy, never-boring essays that truly elucidate diverse perspectives among the human evolutionary sciences. Both specialists and non-specialists will find it an edifying read."

, Journal of Anthropological Research Published On: 2007-01-28

"Provides a broad overview of several diverse perspectives across a range of topics....Could serve well as a text for a graduate-level seminar series on the evolution of mind."

, PsycCRITIQUES Published On: 2007-01-28

About the Author

Steven W. Gangestad, PhD, is Distinguished Professor of Psychology at the University of New Mexico. His research has covered a variety of topics in evolutionary behavioral science, including the determinants of sexual attraction, changes in women's sexual psychology across the ovarian cycle, the effects of genetic compatibility between mates on relationship qualities, individual variation in developmental precision and its manifestations in neuropsychology, and influences of men's testosterone levels.

Jeffry A. Simpson, PhD, is Professor of Psychology and Director of the Doctoral Minor in Interpersonal Relationships at the University of Minnesota. His research interests include adult attachment processes, human mating, idealization in relationships, empathic accuracy in relationships, and dyadic social influence. Dr. Simpson is a fellow of the American Psychological Association and the Association for Psychological Science. He serves as Associate Editor for the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology: Interpersonal Relations and Group Processes.

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The Evolution of Mind: Fundamental Questions and Controversies