Evolutionary developmental psychology

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Evolutionary developmental psychology (EDP) is a research paradigm that applies the basic principles of evolution by natural selection, to understand the development of human behavior and cognition. It involves the study of both the genetic and environmental mechanisms that underlie the development of social and cognitive competencies, as well as the epigenetic (gene-environment interactions) processes that adapt these competencies to local conditions.[1]

EDP considers both the reliably developing, species-typical features of ontogeny (developmental adaptations), as well as individual differences in behavior, from an evolutionary perspective. While evolutionary views tend to regard most individual differences as the result of either random genetic noise (evolutionary byproducts)[2] and/or idiosyncrasies (for example, peer groups, education, neighborhoods, and chance encounters)[3] rather than products of natural selection, EDP asserts that natural selection can favor the emergence of individual differences via "adaptive developmental plasticity."[1][4] From this perspective, human development follows alternative life-history strategies in response to environmental variability, rather than following one species-typical pattern of development.[1]

EDP is closely linked to the theoretical framework of evolutionary psychology (EP), but is also distinct from EP in several domains, including: research emphasis (EDP focuses on adaptations of ontogeny, as opposed to adaptations of adulthood); consideration of proximate ontogenetic; environmental factors (i.e., how development happens) in addition to more ultimate factors (i.e., why development happens). These things of which are the focus of mainstream evolutionary psychology.[5]

  1. ^ a b c Bjorklund, David F; Blasi, Carlos Hernández; Ellis, Bruce J (2015-10-26). "Evolutionary Developmental Psychology". In David M. Buss (ed.). The Handbook of Evolutionary Psychology. Vol. 2. John Wiley & Sons. p. 905. ISBN 978-1-118-75580-8.
  2. ^ Tooby, John (1990). "On the universality of human nature and the uniqueness of the individual: The role of genetics and adaptation". Journal of Personality. 58 (1): 17–67. doi:10.1111/j.1467-6494.1990.tb00907.x. PMID 2198338.
  3. ^ Pinker, Steven (2002). "Chapter 19: Children". The blank slate. New York: Penguin Books.
  4. ^ West-Eberhard, Mary Jane (2003). Developmental plasticity and evolution. Oxford University Press.
  5. ^ Blasi, Carlos Hernandez; Bjorklund, David F. (2003). "Evolutionary Developmental Psychology: A New Tool for Better Understanding Human Ontogeny". Human Development. 46 (5): 259–281. doi:10.1159/000071935. S2CID 143721157. Retrieved March 31, 2016.