Introduction

The evolutionary perspective is related to the scientific understanding of evolution. It considers the way that different traits within any individual will change throughout different generations and eras. This perspective relates to the concept of natural selection and how it has changed many things about the way that the mind works. It is believed to relate to absolutely any human or humanoid as well as animals and organisms in history and modern day.

Basics of the Evolutionary Perspective

The evolutionary perspective considers many different traits which include memory, perception and language. In this perspective, however, it considers these traits as adaptations that have occurred within the human body over time. With the evolutionary perspective scientists look at the way a new trait will evolve in the average person.

Evolution means natural selection and that means things that are good continue on while things that are not useful are pushed out. For example, traits of memory continue to evolve through each generation while other instincts are devolving. Natural selection gets rid of some of the traits that are no longer necessary while ensuring that important ones are pushed on in the future.

This perspective can be used with any type of organism as natural selection has been proven to affect all living organisms. Psychologists however, will consider the way that this perspective affects the general human population rather than other organisms or animals.

The evolutionary perspective is based on the foundations of cognitive psychology as well as evolutionary biology. It considers genetics, ethology, anthropology, biology and other aspects of science as well. The combination of these forms resulted in the creation of the evolutionary perspective in the 19^th century.

According to the evolutionary perspective, the only reason that the human race continues to survive and continues to function in the best way possible is through natural selection. This is believed to be the way that the human race has come from the caveman era to the modern era as far as skills, traits and abilities.

Who Founded the Evolutionary Perspective?

This perspective was founded in part by Charles Darwin and his theory of natural selection. His theories began to gain additional traction throughout the 19^th and 20^th centuries. In this way, other psychologists increased their own research of these ideals.

Throughout the next several centuries, the evolutionary perspective has been expanded upon though a number of different theories have arisen over time. This perspective concentrates on the consciousness, sensation and perception, learning and facultative adaptations, emotion and motivation, cognition, personality, language, emotions and more.

Examples of the Evolutionary Perspective

Example 1:

Two boys are exactly the same age. The first boy lives in 12,000 B.C while the other lives in the year 2000. While they are the same age, 15, their roles are entirely different. The boy living in 12,000 B.C is a hunter for his tribe and for his family. His primary goals are survival and feeding himself. These traits take precedence over any others and he does not speak what would now be considered an intelligible language or worry about educating himself. His brain is not as developed as what is found in modern times.

The second boy, living in 2000 does not have these responsibilities. He is not a natural hunter and instead, his brain is made for holding important information and gathering more knowledge. He spends his time in school where he learns more and his brain concentrates on remembering the things that he is learning as he goes along.

The traits of memory and speech have evolved over time. The second boy has more intelligence (at least what we would call so in a modern era) while the other boy has natural instincts for hunting and protecting his family. These traits are not needed in a modern era however, and natural selection has all but eliminated them in modern humans. The traits of the modern era were not important in history and therefore did not exist. They came to be through time only when they were required.

Example 2:

When Marcy walks into the science lab she sees one of her friends standing at a table. Her friend does not see her so she decides to walk up and startle them. She wants to make sure they don’t hear her coming so she makes sure to walk very quietly and gets behind them before they realize she is there. She then reaches out and puts her hand on her friends back. The sudden action makes her friend jump and scream in surprise because she thought she was alone.

This is an example of evolutionary psychology as well because the instinct to jump and scream at a sudden change is just that, instinct. Marcy’s friend never learned to be afraid when someone startles her; this is an instinctual reaction that everyone has. It was learned in ancient times because of the inherent dangers everywhere. This trait has aided in the survival of the human race and, as such, it has continued to be passed down through natural selection into modern times.

Example 3:

Every winter, northern states within the United States and areas of Canada will witness thousands of birds flying to the south. These birds fly in a ‘V’ shaped pattern which may extend very long but they always fly in this pattern and they always fly south. Every so often the lead bird will switch out and another will take their place. These actions repeat every year when the weather starts to get cold.

This is an example of the way that the evolutionary perspective applies to animals. Likely, no one had to teach these birds that they need to fly south for the winter. These birds intrinsically know that they need to go to a warmer climate and they know how to do it. They also intrinsically know that they need to fly in a certain formation in order to travel faster and when their lead bird gets tired they know to switch out for someone else. These behaviors are not as much learned as intrinsically known by the birds because they are key to their survival. This is also natural selection at work.

Other Important Facts About the Evolutionary Perspective

This perspective has continued to be used because it does create a thorough understanding of how evolution works and how it applies to psychology. The way in which the memory works, for example, is tied to the way that our ancestors were required to remember important information in order to find food. Other behaviors that were important to our ancestors however, have been weeded out of the modern human mind or reflex because they are no longer necessary.

This perspective takes a stance that, over time, nature will weed out unneeded psychological reactions however; it will also help new ones to form as well as keeping those that are important at the time. This is how the brain has grown bigger and how specialized sections for memory and emotion have formed. These were not as important in the days of cavemen; however over time they came to be more important in the modern day.

Finally, the evolutionary perspective considers that only important characteristics will continue to develop and, as they become more important, they will develop more fully. In this way, the human race, in 100 years, will only have the traits that are necessary for their life rather than all of the traits that our current generation has.

Wrapping Up the Evolutionary Perspective and AP® Psychology

The evolutionary perspective considers how the human race has managed to survive for this long and how it has managed to become better as time goes on. This theory, which is found in psychology as well as biology, considers evolution as a necessary aspect of turning into a stronger human race.

1. The evolutionary perspective relates to the way that cognitive behaviors go through the process of natural selection just as the human body has done.

2. This perspective also considers the way that emotions, memory, perspective and more have been used in history and have evolved in the current era. This also considers how much is necessary for the future when it comes to changes in the psychology of the human race.

3. The evolutionary perspective was founded by Charles Darwin in the 19^th

4. This perspective has brought the mind through the caveman era to the modern era much as the biological version brought the body through these eras. 

This theory is still in use today in many ways and most especially when it comes to the biological area of evolution. The theory considers a number of ways that different people will continue to grow and develop throughout each consecutive generation. This has occurred throughout history and will continue to occur throughout the future that will contribute to the potential of evolution. Make sure to review this along with other perspectives to best prepare for your AP® Psychology exam.