BSc Psychology

In the unit, students will first be introduced to basic principles of evolution, including an overview of its history (in line with CHiPs). The unit will present basic evolutionary principles, including genetics and mechanisms of evolutionary change. There will be an emphasis on fallacies and mistaken applications of the principles of evolution. Further background will be given about the evolution of our species to make it relevant for psychology students. These evolutionary principles will be applied to key topics in human traits such as cooperation, conflict, mate choice, emotions, individual differences, psychopathology and the cognitive mechanisms that underlie these. Comparison with other species, notably nonhuman primates, will be made to highlight evolutionary processes in general and the phylogeny of traits in humans. Topical issues will be discussed to highlight that the study of the evolution of behaviour is a timely, and often controversial, subject.  

This is an optional Year 2 unit for the BSc Psychology programme. It is recommended for taking PSYC 31131 (Sociality and Communication - Evolutionary Perspectives). It provides a foundation for further study and independent project work in the areas of both Evolution and Development at level 6. 

This unit aims:

• To provide students with a background in evolutionary processes and analysis.
• To provide an understanding of evolution that can be a basis for future courses.
• To give a broad overview of comparative approaches to studying cognition.
• To introduce different evolutionary perspectives, including behavioural ecology and evolutionary psychology.
• To think about how cognitive traits - particularly in humans - can evolve

This unit will consist of approximately 22 hours of lecture content delivered in live lectures, 120 minutes in length. 
 
E-learning provision: Lecture content, supplementary reading and resources, and a monitored discussion board will be provided via Canvas. Online quizzes will be provided for formative assessment.

• Describe: the governing principles of evolution theory; basic genetic principles involved in natural selection; the mechanisms of evolutionary change; the origins of Homo sapiens
• Apply evolutionary theory and research evidence to questions about human cognition and behaviour across the programme.
• Compare research that uses sociobiology approaches, and evolutionary psychology approaches to studying social behaviours such as altruism. 

• Evaluate: human cognition and behaviour in the light of evolution theory
• Describe the history and development of evolutionary theories and think critically about the debates around this topic.
• Evaluate the methodologies of comparative evolutionary research, including research on non-human primates.
• Evaluate fallacies and misconceptions in evolutionary psychology.
• Critically appraise the validity of competing theoretical perspectives. 

• Communicate complex ideas both orally and in writing.
• Appraise recent research findings and discuss them in class. 

Students will receive general feedback about their scores (e.g., which topics students do well and which topics students have difficulty) as part of a lecture with the unit lead and in written format (cohort level feedback on Canvas) after this session.

Students will receive a grade and written feedback after marks have been ratified at the semester 1 exam board. 

Workman, L. & Reader, W. (2021). Evolutionary Psychology, 4th edition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.  

Boyd, R. & Silk, J. & Langergraber (2024). How Humans Evolved, 10th edition. New York: W W Norton & Company.