This book reviews the evolutionary forces behind sex differences in fear responses and, crucially, delves into the mechanisms through which sexual selection might have driven sex differences in connection with fear. Fear is an evolved mechanism that helps us stay alive, but is also an emotion experienced more intensely, more frequently, and longer in women than in men. This book therefore asks the following question: Why might evolution have made women more motivated than men to avoid danger? It provides an overview of the brain areas underpinning the experience of fear and evaluates the evidence that these areas manifest sex-specific differences in their structure and function. Given its scope, the book will be essential reading for anyone interested in an evolutionary perspective on psychological sex differences.

Anne Campbell was Professor Emerita in Psychology at Durham University. She gained her doctorate in experimental psychology from Oxford University in 1977. Her principal research focus was the evolutionary psychology of women’s aggression, with a particular emphasis on the role of fear in restraining aggressive behaviour.

Catharine P. Cross is a Lecturer in Psychology at the University of St Andrews, UK. She gained her PhD from Durham University in 2011 and her current work focuses on sex differences in human social behaviour and the contextual factors that modify these.

Lee T. Copping is a Lecturer in Psychology at Teesside University, UK. He gained his PhD from Durham University in 2015 and his current work focuses on sex differences in human behaviour and the measurement and application of life history theory.