About This Title

Many books in evolutionary psychology emphasize just a small part of the total picture. William J. Ray’s book gives students a clear understanding of how current psychological knowledge of human behavior and experience draws from a variety of perspectives. It begins with an understanding of evolution and the close connection between organisms and their environment, focusing on how the environment and genes can influence humans and the cultures of which they are a part. Using current research in social processes, decision making, and brain imaging, Ray explores how humans solve certain life problems in the same way that many non-human species do. He also highlights human abilities not seen in other species, including our ability to use language, develop culture, and create writings and art that can influence other humans thousands of years later. Written in a clear, easy-to-understand manner, the book emphasizes developmental processes and family relationships, sexual and social relationships, and emotionality and language. It concludes with an examination of health and disease, psychopathology, and culture, all seen through an evolutionary lens.