NCJ Number
236246
Journal
Aggression and Violent Behavior Volume: 16 Issue: 5 Dated: September/October 2011 Pages: 361-370
Date Published
October 2011
Length
10 pages
Annotation
This paper provides an introductory overview of evolutionary approaches to human behavior with a focus on the role they can play in enriching a understanding of criminal and antisocial behavior.
Abstract
Despite a growing acceptance of the value of evolutionary approaches to understanding the natural world there has been relatively little attention paid to evolutionary ideas in sociology, socio-cultural anthropology, and of particular relevance for this special issue criminology and forensic/correctional psychology. The aim of this paper is to provide an introductory overview of evolutionary approaches to human behavior with a focus on illuminating the role they can play in enriching our understanding of criminal and antisocial behavior. The authors begin with an overview of the main approaches to applying evolutionary theory to human behavior and they suggest that a pluralistic perspective is most likely to advance conceptual and empirical work in the field. The authors then turn to a brief discussion of some common, but misguided criticisms of this approach. Some of the more substantive conceptual and methodological issues that evolutionary approaches need to address are then explored. Finally, the authors engage with the broader issues that relate to the role of evolutionary explanations in the social and behavioral sciences. (Published Abstract)