The evolutionary perspective in psychology is a purely theoretical approach. It allows for the assumption that many of your core behaviors and ways of processing information are a result of evolution.

Evolutionary psychology is partly based on Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution.

The theory was introduced in his 1859 book “On the Origin of Species.”

In sum, Darwin theorized that within a given population, specific traits are more helpful than others when it comes to the survival of the species. This is referred to as natural selection.

Traits that increase the chance of survival are more likely to be genetically passed on to future generations. This creates a process where undesirable traits are more likely to fade over time, while desirable traits carry on strongly.

For example, at some point, foxes with longer legs were able to escape predators more easily. As the shorter-legged foxes fell prey, only the long-legged foxes lived on to reproduce and pass on their genetic characteristics to their offspring. Over time, most or all foxes developed longer legs.

Evolutionary psychology applies this premise to human thinking and behavior.

Principles of evolutionary psychology

Leda Cosmides and John Tooby, two of the most influential evolutionary psychologists, outlined six core tenants of evolutionary psychology in a 2005 paper.

Tenet 1

Your brain’s purpose is to analyze information from the environment like a computer would process information. The brain is a physical system, and its pathways to process information are fine-tuned through natural selection.

“Pathways” refers to the connections between brain cells, or neurons, that allow messages to travel from one region of the nervous system to another.

In other words, a pathway is a group of neurons working together to get something done, like moving your feet to walk or turning the page when you’re reading.

Neural pathways are essential to learning but also to repeating behaviors you’ve already learned.

When you do something you’ve never done before, you have no pathway for that specific behavior. As you engage in the behavior, neurons start to get together and pass the message. The pathway becomes stronger the more you repeat the behavior, and it becomes easier or more likely for you to do the behavior.

Tenet 2

Your behaviors are a response to the information your brain has gathered from both its internal and external environment.

This suggests that understanding your behavior means understanding how you process information, as well as understanding your thought pathways or patterns.

Tenet 3

The pathways your brain has created from gathering and processing information have been influenced over time by ancestral environments. These evolutionary thought processes have roots in two main goals: survival and reproduction.

Tenet 4

Some evolutionary behaviors may hold no benefit in current environments. But, since cognitive programming may come from your ancestors, it may still contribute to handling modern-day challenges.

Tenet 5

The brain has many evolutionary pathways, each one intended to solve a particular problem your ancestors faced.

The more diverse your pathways, the more challenges you’re able to overcome.

In other words, you may have pathways in your brain that have not been created by your behaviors but come from the behaviors and experiences of your ancestors.

Tenet 6

Each of your preprogrammed pathways allows your brain to categorize your individual experiences.

You’re able to compare, analyze, recognize patterns, and develop concepts based on the framework you’ve inherited.

An example

In an ancient community, empathy may have allowed for a greater understanding of others, contributing to stronger relationships and more cooperation to ensure everyone’s well-being.

As empathy continued to be a beneficial trait practiced by one generation and the next, it eventually made its way to you.

Now, when you’re faced with the choice of helping someone or turning away, your evolutionary inclination toward empathy may encourage you to put yourself in other people’s shoes and help.