evolutionary psychology

American  

noun

1. the branch of psychology that studies the mental adaptations of humans to a changing environment, especially differences in behavior, cognition, and brain structure.

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Etymology

Origin of evolutionary psychology

First recorded in 1875–80

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

evolutionary psychology

Since the dawn of his career, Eastwick has had more than one bone to pick with evolutionary psychology.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 12, 2026

He has tended to accept the premises of evolutionary psychology in ways that religious people typically do not.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 17, 2025

University of South Africa psychologist Dr. Monika dos Santos turns to evolutionary psychology for an explanation on humanity’s difficulty grasping the magnitude of the problem.

From Salon ● Dec. 6, 2024

Another is megapundit Robert Wright, an old friend, with whom I’ve often argued about evolutionary psychology and Buddhism.

From Scientific American ● Aug. 14, 2021

The Hutterites, obviously, didn’t get this idea from contemporary evolutionary psychology.

From "The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell