​​​​​As psychology and philosophy arose as answers to the eternal question of how the mind works, evolutionary psychology has gained ground over recent years as a link between cognitive-behavioral and natural-science theories of the mind. This provocative field has also gathered a wide range of criticisms, from attributing too much autonomy to the brain to basing itself on faulty assumptions about our prehistoric past. Epistemological Dimensions of Evolutionary Psychology reframes its discipline for the contemporary era, correcting common misconceptions and mediating between different schools of thought. By focusing on the nature and limits of knowledge and reasoning--the essence of epistemology--contributors offer fresh insights at the intersection of human cognitive abilities as adaptations and our self-perception of knowledge, including evolutionary perspectives on altruism, depression, or the phasing out of human sacrifice. This diversity strengthens and vindicates the field, as evinced by thought-provoking dispatches such as: Toward a cognitive philosophy of science. Evolutionary media psychology and its epistemological foundation. The "meme" meme revisited. Depression as an adaptation. Like me: a homophily-based account of human culture. Preparedness to learn about the world: evidence from infant research. An engaging and often controversial testament to the combined power of evolution and logic, Epistemological Dimensions of Evolutionary Psychology will intrigue philosophers as well as psychologists in a variety of subdisciplines.

Evolutionary Psychology and Digital Games: Digital Hunter-Gatherers is the first edited volume that systematically applies evolutionary psychology to the study of the use and effects of digital games. The book is divided into four parts: Theories and Methods Emotion and Morality Social Interaction Learning and Motivation These topics reflect the main areas of digital games research as well as some of the basic categories of psychological research. The book is meant as a resource for researchers and graduate students in psychology, anthropology, media studies and communication as well as video game designers who are interested in learning more about the evolutionary roots of player behaviors and experiences.

This work traverses art and science, and explores how they can be integrated in life. The foundations of psychology, sociology, anthropology, biology and philosophy can be used to improve interpersonal effectiveness in life. These principles are presented through artistic images and literary artifacts in the form of human stories. The particular allegories are then analyzed from various artistic perspectives, literary themes, scientific bases, and philosophical principles. Art, psychology, sociology, anthropology, biology and philosophy have been studied for centuries. The fundamental principles behind these topics all intersect to affect life. In conflict, who wins, who loses and why? How and why are some people so competent in life? Fascinating examples, with beautiful photography, dialogue and analysis. A reconnaissance of art, beauty, knowledge, and power. Explore the beauty of life from many intersecting viewpoints.

The Handbook of Communication Science and Biology charts the state of the art in the field, describing relevant areas of communication studies where a biological approach has been successfully applied. The book synthesizes theoretical and empirical development in this area thus far and proposes a roadmap for future research. As the biological approach to understanding communication has grown, one challenge has been the separate evolution of research focused on media use and effects and research focused on interpersonal and organizational communication, often with little intellectual conversation between the two areas. The Handbook of Communication Science and Biology is the only book to bridge the gap between media studies and human communication, spurring new work in both areas of focus. With contributions from the field’s foremost scholars around the globe, this unique book serves as a seminal resource for the training of the current and next generation of communication scientists, and will be of particular interest to media and psychology scholars as well.

In times of a worldwide pandemic, the election of a new US president, "MeToo," and "Fridays for Future," to name but a few examples, one thing becomes palpable: the emotional impact of media on individuals and society cannot be underestimated. The relations between media, people, and society are to a great extent based on human emotions. Emotions are essential in understanding how media messages are processed and how media affect individual and social behavior as well as public social life. Adopting a thoroughly interdisciplinary approach to the study of emotions in the context of media, the second, entirely revised and updated, edition of Routledge International Handbook of Emotions and Media comprises areas such as evolutionary psychology, media psychology, media sociology, cultural studies, media entertainment, and political and digital communication. Leading experts from across the globe explore cutting-edge research on the role of emotion in selecting and processing media contents, the emotional consequences of media use, politics and public emotion, emotions in political communication and persuasion, as well as emotions in digital, interactive, and virtual encounters. This compelling and authoritative Handbook is an essential reference tool for scholars and students of media, communication science, media psychology, emotion, cognitive and social psychology, cultural studies, media sociology, and related fields.

"How has social psychology investigated the concept of change? In this chapter, we try to answer this question by moving in two directions. First, we briefly consider the main lines of research described in some of the reference books on social psychology, and the contributions of leading scholars who studied change (i.e. the great names in its history, cf. Lubek, 1993). Second, we analyze the abstracts of the papers published in two journals of pivotal importance in this field since their inception, i.e. the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology and the European Journal of Social Psychology. In line with recent developments in digital methods, the distant reading of large corpora of scientific literature can serve as a valid counterpart to more traditional ways of pursuing a historical quest like the one we posit here (Tuzzi, 2018)"--

A leading developmental psychologist proposes an evolutionary pathway to human psychological agency. Nature cannot build organisms biologically prepared for every contingency they might possibly encounter. Instead, Nature builds some organisms to function as feedback control systems that pursue goals, make informed behavioral decisions about how best to pursue those goals in the current situation, and then monitor behavioral execution for effectiveness. Nature builds psychological agents. In a bold new theoretical proposal, Michael Tomasello advances a typology of the main forms of psychological agency that emerged on the evolutionary pathway to human beings. Tomasello outlines four main types of psychological agency and describes them in evolutionary order of emergence. First was the goal-directed agency of ancient vertebrates, then came the intentional agency of ancient mammals, followed by the rational agency of ancient great apes, ending finally in the socially normative agency of ancient humans. Each new form of psychological organization represented increased complexity in the planning, decision-making, and executive control of behavior. Each also led to new types of experience of the environment and, in some cases, of the organism’s own psychological functioning, leading ultimately to humans’ experience of an objective and normative world that governs all of their thoughts and actions. Together, these proposals constitute a new theoretical framework that both broadens and deepens current approaches in evolutionary psychology.

Employing a lively and accessible writing style, author Daniel W. Barrett integrates up-to-date coverage of social psychology’s core theories, concepts, and research with a discussion of emerging developments in the field—including social neuroscience and the social psychology of happiness, religion, and sustainability. Engaging examples, Applying Social Psychology sections, and a wealth of pedagogical features help readers cultivate a deep understanding of the causes of social behavior.

The International Encyclopedia of Media Effects presents a comprehensive collection of the most up-to-date research on the uses and impacts of media throughout the world. Provides the definitive resource on the most recent findings of media effects research Covers all aspects of the uses and impact of media, utilizing empirical, psychological, and critical research approaches to the field Features over 200 entries contributed by leading international scholars in their associated fields Offers invaluable insights to for students, scholars and professionals studying and working in related fields, and will stimulate new scholarship in emerging fields such as the Internet, Social Media and Mobile Communication Part of The Wiley Blackwell-ICA International Encyclopedias of Communication series, published in conjunction with the International Communication Association. Online version available at Wiley Online Library.

Human behavioral ecology (HBE) applies the principles of evolutionary theory and optimisation to the study of human behavioural and cultural diversity. Among other things, HBE attempts to explain variation in behaviour as adaptive solutions to the competing life-history demands of growth, development, reproduction, parental care, and mate acquisition. This book is a comprehensive introduction to the theoretical orientation and specific findings of HBE. It consolidates the insights of evolution and human behaviour into a single volume that reflects the current state and future of the field. It brings together leading scholars from across the evolutionary social sciences to provide a comprehensive and thought-provoking review of the state of the topic. Throughout, the authors explain the latest developments in theory and highlight critical debates in the literature, while also engaging readers with ethnographic insights and field-based studies that remain at the core of human behavioral ecology.