Evolutionary Psychology Theory of Social Relationships Theory

Some theorists believe that social relationships played a role in evolution. Some would say that the relationships were, in fact, central to human evolution because early humans had to form small bands as a survival strategy. "[A]ccording to evolutionary psychology, individuals who carried genes for cooperativeness, group loyalty, adherence to norms, and promotion of social inclusion were more apt to survive in the primal environment and pass on these genes to their descendants (and ultimately to us)" (Bjorklund & Bee, 2008, p. 170).

Major Theorists

Buss & Kendrick, 1998

Caporeal, 1997

Baumeister & Leary, 1995

de Waal, 1996

Citations to Major Works

• Buss, D. M. & Kendrick, D. T. (1998). Evolutionary social psychology. In D.T. gilbert, S.T. Fisk & G. Lindzey (Eds.) Handbook of social psychology (Vol. 2, pp. 982-1026). New York: McGraw-Hill.
• Caporeal, L.R. (1997). the evolution of truly social cognition: The core configuration model. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 1, 276-298.
• Baumeister, R. F., & Leary, M.R. (1995). The need to belong: Desire for interpersonal attachments as a fundamental human motivation. Psychological Bulletin, 117, 497-529.
• de Waal, F. (1996). Good natured: The origins of right and wrong in humans and other animals. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Web Links

http://www.epjournal.net/

http://www.psych.ucsb.edu/research/cep/primer.html

http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/evolutionary-psychology/