The relationship between how we evolved and how we behave is a controversial and fascinating field of study. From how we choose a mate to how we socialize with other people, the evolutionary process has an enduring legacy on the way we view the world. Evolution and Behavior provides students with a thorough and accessible introduction to this growing discipline.

Placing evolutionary psychology in context with the core areas of psychology – developmental, cognitive and social – the book explores some of the most fundamental questions we can ask about ourselves. Taking students through the principles of natural selection, it provides a nuanced understanding of key topics such as:

• cognitive development and the role of intelligence,
• memory, emotions and perception,
• mental health and abnormal psychology,
• sexual reproduction and family relationships,
• the development of culture.

Addressing a number of controversial debates in the field, each chapter also includes concept boxes, the definition of key terms, chapter summaries and further reading. This is the ideal introductory textbook for anyone interested in evolutionary psychology. It will provide not only an essential overview of this emerging field, but also deepen readers’ appreciation of the core tenets of psychology as a whole.

"As this book demonstrates clearly, behavior becomes immensely more comprehensible through the lens of evolution. Workman and Reader’s text is thorough and readable, and not afraid to tackle the issues that many see as most challenging from an evolutionary perspective, such as culture and mental illness."– Dr Michael E. Price, Department of Life Sciences, Brunel University London, UK

Lance Workman is Visiting Professor of Psychology at the University of South Wales in the UK.

Will Reader is Senior Lecturer in Psychology at Sheffield Hallam University in the UK.