Evolution and the Social Mind: Evolutionary Psychology and Social Cognition (Sydney Symposium in Social Psychology)

This book seeks to combine the study of human social cognition - the way we think, decide, plan and analyze social situations - with an evolutionary framework that considers these activities in light of evolutionary adaptations for solving problems of survival faced by our ancestors over thousands of generations. The chapters report recent research and theories illustrating how evolutionary principles can shed new light on the subtle and often subconscious ways that cognitive mechanisms guide peoples’ thoughts, memories, judgments, attitudes and behaviors in social life. The contributors to this volume, who are leading researchers in their fields, seek answers to such intriguing questions as: how can evolutionary principles help to explain human beliefs, attitudes, judgments, prejudice, and group preferences? Are there benefits to behaving unpredictably? Why are prototypical faces more attractive than atypical ones? How do men and women think about, and select potential mates? What are the adaptive functions of negative affect? What are the evolutionary influences on the way people think about and respond to social exclusion and ostracism? Evolution and the Social Mind offers a highly integrated and representative coverage of this emerging field, and is suitable as a textbook in advanced courses dealing with social cognition and evolutionary psychology. This Book Seeks To Combine The Study Of Human Social Cognition-the Way We Think, Decide, Plan, And Analyze Social Situations-with An Evolutionary Framework That Considers These Activities In Light Of Evolutionary Adaptations For Solving Problems Of Survival Faced By Our Ancestors Over Thousands Of Generations. The Chapters Report Recent Research And Theories Illustrating How Evolutionary Principles Can Shed New Light On The Subtle And, Often, Subconscious Ways That Cognitive Mechanisms Guide Peoples' Thoughts, Memories, Judgments, Attitudes, And Behaviors In Social Life.--jacket. Evolutionary Psychology And Social Thinking : History, Issues, And Prospects / William Von Hippel, Martie G. Haselton, And Joseph P. Forgas -- Foundations. The Social Brain Hypothesis And Its Relevance To Social Psychology / R.i.m. Dunbar -- The Evolution Of Social Inference Processes : The Importance Of Signaling Theory / Steven W. Gangestad And Randy Thornhill -- How The Mind Warps : A Social Evolutionary Perspective On Cognitive Processing Disjunctions / Douglas T. Kenrick [and Others] -- The Evolutionary Psychology Of Affect And Cognition. Appraisals, Emotions, And Adaptation / Phoebe C. Ellsworth -- The Evolutionary Bases Of Social And Moral Emotions : Dominance, Submission, And True Love / Ross Buck -- The Strange Cognitive Benefits Of Mild Dysphoria : On The Evolutionary Advantages Of Not Being Too Happy / Joseph P. Forgas -- Evolution, Social Cognition, And Depressed Mood : Exploring The Relationship Between Depression And Social Risk Taking / Paul B.t. Badcock And Nicholas B. Allen -- The Evolutionary Psychology Of Mate Selection. Coevolved Cognitive Mechanisms In Mate Search : Making Decisions In A Decision-shaped World / Peter M. Todd -- An Evolutionary Account Of Strategic Pluralism In Human Mating : Changes In Mate Preferences Across The Ovulatory Cycle / Jeffry A. Simpson And Jonathon Lapaglia -- Aligning Evolutionary Psychology And Social Cognition : Inbreeding Avoidance As An Example Of Investigations Into Categorization, Decision Rules, And Emotions / Debra Lieberman -- The Self In Intimate Relationships : A Social Evolutionary Account / Garth J.o. Fletcher And Nickola C. Overall. The Evolutionary Psychology Of Interpersonal Processes. A Social Cognitive Evolutionary Approach To Jealousy : The Automatic Evaluation Of One's Romantic Rivals / Abraham P. Buunk, Karlijn Massar, And Pieternel Dijkstra -- Cognitive And Social Adaptations For Leadership And Followership : Evolutionary Game Theory And Group Dynamics / Mark Von Vugt And Rob Kurzban -- Proximate And Ultimate Origins Of A Bias For Prototypical Faces : An Evolutionary Social Cognitive Account / Jamin Halberstadt -- The Social Prediction Dynamic : A Legacy Of Cognition And Mixed Motives / Oscar Ybarra [and Others] -- The Evolution Of An Ostracism Detection System / Jennifer R. Spoor And Kipling D. Williams -- The Behavioral Immune System : Its Evolution And Social Psychological Implications / Mark Schaller And Lesley A. Duncan. Edited By Joseph P. Forgas, Martie G. Haselton, William Von Hippel. Includes Bibliographical References And Indexes. Front Cover......Page 1 Title Page......Page 6 Copyright......Page 7 Contents......Page 8 About the Editors......Page 14 Contributors......Page 16 Preface......Page 18 1 Evolutionary Psychology and Social Thinking: History, Issues, and Prospects......Page 22 PART I: FOUNDATIONS......Page 40 2 The Social Brain Hypothesis and its Relevance to Social Psychology......Page 42 3 The Evolution of Social Inference Processes: The Importance of Signaling Theory......Page 54 4 How the Mind Warps: A Social Evolutionary Perspective on Cognitive Processing Disjunctions......Page 70 PART II: THE EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGY OF AFFECT AND COGNITION......Page 90 5 Appraisals, Emotions, and Adaptation......Page 92 6 The Evolutionary Bases of Social and Moral Emotions: Dominance, Submission, and True Love......Page 110 7 The Strange Cognitive Benefits of Mild Dysphoria: On the Evolutionary Advantages of Not Being Too Happy......Page 128 8 Evolution, Social Cognition, and Depressed Mood: Exploring the Relationship Between Depression and Social Risk Taking......Page 146 PART III: THE EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGY OF MATE SELECTION......Page 164 9 Coevolved Cognitive Mechanisms in Mate Search: Making Decisions in a Decision-shaped World......Page 166 10 An Evolutionary Account of Strategic Pluralism in Human Mating: Changes in Mate Preferences Across the Ovulatory Cycle......Page 182 11 Aligning Evolutionary Psychology and Social Cognition: Inbreeding Avoidance as an Example of Investigations into Categorization, Decision Rules, and Emotions......Page 200 12 The Self in Intimate Relationships: A Social Evolutionary Account......Page 216 PART IV: THE EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGY OF INTERPERSONAL PROCESSES......Page 232 13 A Social Cognitive Evolutionary Approach to Jealousy: The Automatic Evaluation of One’s Romantic Rivals......Page 234 14 Cognitive and Social Adaptations for Leadership and Followership: Evolutionary Game Theory and Group Dynamics......Page 250 15 Proximate and Ultimate Origins of a Bias for Prototypical Faces: An Evolutionary Social Cognitive Account......Page 266 16 The Social Prediction Dynamic: A Legacy of Cognition and Mixed Motives......Page 284 17 The Evolution of an Ostracism Detection System......Page 300 18 The Behavioral Immune System: Its Evolution and Social Psychological Implications......Page 314 Author Index......Page 329 Subject Index......Page 341