Darwin’s Evolutionary Theory Influence on Modern Psychology
Student’s Name
Institution
Instructor
Course
Date
Modern psychology has undergone much development since Darwin’s theory of evolution. Most of the scientists have relied on the theory to come up with new concepts in the field of psychology. Modern evolution psychology is influenced by the work of Charles Darwin and relates to his concepts of natural collection to the mind. According to Darwin’s theory, all existing things arrived at their present biological form through a past progression that involved changes that were inheritable. With the changes that continued to develop with generations, humans are able to mitigate most of the factors that hinder survival. Psychologists have used Darwin’s theory to explain how the human mind has developed to advantage humans. These evolvements are based on human memory, language, and consciousness due to the adaptable fitness. As a result, humans are developing more survival means and propagation of human species.
Evolutionary psychology acts as a theoretical lens that informs other branches of psychology. There are several premises that explain the contribution of Darwin’s theory on human understanding of body and mind. That is the evolution process has not just sculpted the body only, but also the mind. The mental adaptations have also changed to solve the historical problems that contributed to human survival and reproduction; the environmental adaptations have changed compared to those of ancestral environments (Baladron & Khrennikov, 2017). Over the past decade, the evolution of psychology has led to more informed discipline psychology. In insight and perception, it has led to the finding of wonders such as the hearing imminent preconceived notion and the decent graphic delusion. Darwin has also contributed to the management of errors in cognitive psychology. Psychologists have come up with error management theory and the innovation of useful mental prejudices that seem to have an adaptive way (Ludden, 2017). Evolution social psychology has seen developments on how people can manage social conflict while evolution development strategy has led to influence on ontogenetic events such as how the absence of a father and the presence of father impact consequent improvement.
The absorption of evolutionary theory has been the basic foundation of a growing understanding of psychological science. Since Darwin’s prediction that the field of psychology would be founded on a new basis, there have been prominent developments in the field of psychology. Bowlby’s model of attachment is based on the evolutionary bases, yet it may appear as an isolated example. Another form of a notable example of Darwin’s contribution is the development of principles that influence the thinking of humans. There is some of the criticism that has been developed on Darwin’s theory of evolution (Buss & von Hippel, 2018). However, noting that the evolutionary explanations cannot replace the current models, it can theory can only be integrated on ‘how’ and ‘why.’ This can help in understanding that Darwin’s theory is monolithic, and rather there are different levels of theory with specific principles with multiple competing explanatory theories. Nevertheless, the Darwin theory of evolution continues to hold the basic foundation of the most modern psychological developments.
In conclusion, Charles Darwin can be termed as the first evolutionary psychologist; his foundations laid the background of modern psychology. William James’ classic explanation of psychology through principles is one of Darwin’s developments in evolutionary psychology. Psychology is based on various fields, in each field, evolution theory, and Darwin’s argument that is living things physical characteristics are molded by the demand of the persistent difficulties posed by the environment that have affected each field differently. It is evident that modern psychology has been influenced mostly by Darwin’s theory of evolution.
References
Baladron, C., & Khrennikov, A. (2017). Outline of a unified Darwinian evolutionary theory for physical and biological systems. Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology, 130, 80-87.
Buss, D. M., & von Hippel, W. (2018). Psychological barriers to evolutionary psychology: Ideological bias and coalitional adaptations. Archives of Scientific Psychology, 6(1), 148.
Ludden Jr, D. C. (2019). A history of modern psychology: The quest for a science of the mind. SAGE Publications, Incorporated.