APA Handbook of Evolutionary Psychology

This two-volume handbook brings together leading international scholars to guide readers through the foundational theories, concepts, research, applications, and future directions in evolutionary psychology.

Evolutionary psychology is a multidisciplinary field dedicated to better understanding human behavior, cognitions, motivation, emotions and how they originated according to the historical record of our species. Through broad examination, this handbook deepens communication between fields and provides trajectories from theory to new research.

Chapters emphasize how theoretical concepts from evolutionary psychology have been proposed and modified over time, their current applications and limitations, common methodological approaches and how they have impacted research, and emerging and future areas of research. The first volume attends to the foundations of the field, cognition and its relation to human development and relationships, and family and societal relationships. The second volume explores mating psychology, including our evolving understanding of sex and gender; personality and individual differences; emotions; and applications of the field to other disciplines such as industrial/organizational psychology, economics, politics, and the law. For researchers, students, and other scholars, this handbook provides a comprehensive overview of the discipline’s current landscape and serves as a foundation for guiding the next generation of evolutionary psychology research.