Course Schedule and Catalog

Long Title: EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGY

Department: School of Continuing Studies

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Description: Darwin's theory of evolution has influenced psychologists and other social scientists for the past 150 years, often in crude and not always useful or acceptable ways. Major developments in evolutionary biology over the past half century have opened opportunities for more sophisticated applications to psychology. One of the fastest growing and most controversial areas of modern psychology, evolutionary psychology seeks to explain fundamental issues such as sex differences, proclivities toward violence, cooperation, trust and competition in social groups, the ways and whys of human cognition, as well as the existence of art, music, literature, and religion. This course will explore these topics and more, and we will examine arguments both for and against this controversial perspective on human behavior. Department Permission Required.