evolutionary psychology

an approach to psychological inquiry that views human cognition and behavior in a broadly Darwinian context of adaptation to evolving physical and social environments and new intellectual challenges. It differs from sociobiology mainly in its emphasis on the effects of natural selection on information processing and the structure of the human mind.

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Psychology term of the day

November 18th 2024

family romance

a common childhood fantasy in which a child imagines that he or she is the offspring not of his or her biological parents but of a noble or royal personage. Sigmund Freud saw this as rooted in the Oedipus complex. See foster-child fantasy.