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  • Evolving Evolutionary Psych...
    Narvaez, Darcia; Moore, David S.; Witherington, David C.; Vandiver, Timothy I.; Lickliter, Robert

    The American psychologist, 04/2022, Letnik: 77, Številka: 3
    Journal Article

    Which evolutionary theory can best benefit psychological theory, research, and application? The most well-known school of evolutionary psychology has a narrow conceptual perspective (a.k.a., "Narrow Evolutionary Psychology" or NEP). Proponents of NEP have long argued that their brand of evolutionary psychology represents a full-fledged scientific revolution, with Buss (2020) recently likening NEP's scientific impact to that of a Copernican or Darwinian paradigm shift. However, NEP stands on two traditions that are now the subjects of serious debate and revision: the neo-Darwinian adaptationist framework within evolutionary biology, and the computationalist "mind-as-computer" framework within cognitive science. Although NEP calls itself revolutionary, the significant revolutions taking place today in both evolutionary biology and cognitive science reveal NEP to be rooted in the orthodoxies of the past. We propose a more inclusive, developmental evolutionary psychology theory (DEPTH) better suited for our field in multiple ways, from acknowledging epigenesis to incorporating developmental science. To discern appropriate baselines for human nature and for human becoming, one must integrate developmental neuroscience, anthropology, and cognitive archeology. To be of value in addressing and remedying the challenges facing humanity, psychological theories must recognize the central importance of our plasticity, evolved developmental niche, and deep history. Public Significance Statement Understanding humans and our behavior requires unpacking our evolutionary heritages and developmental pathways. We inherit much more than genes. Biology, environment, and culture are seamlessly intertwined, in both individual development and evolution. Every individual constructs their personhood through real-time engagement with the world, so it matters what kind of relational experiences the individual has. In contrast to the most prominent evolutionary psychology theory that emphasizes the stranglehold of humanity's evolutionary past, a developmental evolutionary psychology theory orients to dynamic development in the present, taking epigenetics and plasticity seriously. This approach is better able to guide research and practice, and free people from the disempowering belief in biological determinism.