Dynamical evolutionary psychology: individual decision rules and emergent social norms.

Full Abstract

A new theory integrating evolutionary and dynamical approaches is proposed. Following evolutionary models, psychological mechanisms are conceived as conditional decision rules designed to address fundamental problems confronted by human ancestors, with qualitatively different decision rules serving different problem domains and individual differences in decision rules as a function of adaptive and random variation. Following dynamical models, decision mechanisms within individuals are assumed to unfold in dynamic interplay with decision mechanisms of others in social networks. Decision mechanisms in different domains have different dynamic outcomes and lead to different sociospatial geometries. Three series of simulations examining trade-offs in cooperation and mating decisions illustratehow individual decision mechanisms and group dynamics mutually constrain one another, and offer insights about gene-culture interactions.

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Author information

Author/s: Kenrick, Douglas T (DT); Li, Norman P (NP); Butner, Jonathan (J);

Affiliation: Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287-1104, USA.

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article

Journal: Psychological review (Psychol Rev), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2003-Jan; vol 110 (issue 1) : pp 3-28

Dates: Created 2003/01/16; Completed 2003/02/14; Revised 2004/11/17;

PMID: 12529056, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 11/6/2008)

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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