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Evolutionary psychology

Study level: Undergraduate study programme in psychology
Lecturers: Meri Tadinac, Ph.D., Ivana Hromatko, Ph.D.
ECTS: 5
Language: Croatian
Status: mandatory
Form of instruction with class hours: 30 hours of lectures and 30 hours of seminars
Prerequisites: Biological psychology II
Student evaluation: written exam

Course description

Foundations of evolutionary psychology. Common misunderstandings about evolutionary theory. Methods for testing evolutionary hypotheses. Evolutionary approach to other fields in psychology. Problems of survival. Food acquisition, finding a place to live, predators and other environmental dangers. Challenges of sex and mating. Long-term vs. short-term strategies. Sex differences. Jealousy. Parental investment and kinship. Sex differences in parental investment. Hamilton's rule of inclusive fitness. Group living. Cooperative alliances. Aggression. Conflict between the sexes. Status and social domination.

Course objectives

Familiarizing with basic principles of evolutionary theory and understanding of their implications for interpreting a range of diverse behaviours. Students should be able to analyse and interpret human behaviour from a perspective of its functional adaptiveness, and to understand how behavior, like physical structure, is evolved response to selection pressures.

Required readings

Buss, D.M. (2012). Evolucijska psihologija: Nova znanost o umu, Zagreb: Naklada Slap.

Recommended readings

Barkow, J., Cosmides, L., Tooby, J. (1992). Adapted Mind. New York: Oxford University Press.

Hrgović, J., Polšek, D. (2004). Evolucija društvenosti. Zagreb: Jesenski i Turk.

Kardum, I. (2003). Evolucija i ljudsko ponašanje. Zagreb: Jesenski i Turk.

Klawans, H. (2008). Špiljska žena - priče iz evolucijske neurologije. Zagreb: Jesenski i Turk.

A selection of journal papers