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M.A. (Psychology) Evolutionary Psychology Syllabus - Mumbai University 2026

Semesters I and II are from the University of Mumbai syllabus approved by the Academic Council on 7 July 2023 (item 5.5 (N)), in force from 2023-24.

Evolutionary Psychology.pdf
M.A. (Psychology) · Semester 2 · Mandatory · 4 credits

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Syllabus for Evolutionary Psychology

M.A. (Psychology) · Semester 2 · Mandatory · 4 credits

Course objectives

  • 1 To acquaint learners with fundamental concepts of evolution and Evolutionary psychology
  • 2 To explain various psychological aspects as a function of evolution
  • 3 To learn to think about human mind and its processes from an evolutionary perspective
  • 4 To understand specific areas and applications of Evolutionary Psychology

Course outcomes

  • CO1 Students are able to articulate, apply, and use research methods in evolutionary psychology. They should be able to design study, critically evaluate earlier studies, and demonstrate understanding.
  • CO2 Students are able to explain, evaluate, and examine evolution and evolutionary game theory and formulate an integrated understanding of them.
  • CO3 Students are able to articulate, apply, and use understanding of Problems of survival in evolutionary psychology. They should be able to design study, critically evaluate earlier studies, and demonstrate understanding.
  • CO4 Students are able to explain, evaluate, and examine, and apply long terms and short term sexual strategies for both sexes and formulate an integrated understanding of them.
  • CO5 Students are able to articulate, apply, and use understanding of Problems of parenting and kinship and solutions in evolutionary psychology. They should be able to design study, critically evaluate earlier studies, and demonstrate understanding.
  • CO6 Students are able to explain, evaluate, and examine, and apply understanding of problem of cooperation and social exchange and formulate an integrated understanding of them using cognitive adaptations approach.
  • CO7 Students are able to articulate, apply, and use understanding of Problems of human aggression and solutions in evolutionary psychology. They should be able to design study, critically evaluate earlier studies, and demonstrate understanding.
  • CO8 Students are able to explain, evaluate, and examine, and apply understanding of problem of human morality and formulate an integrated understanding of them using cognitive adaptations approach. Students should be able to explain, evaluate, and examine, and apply understanding of problem of status, prestige and social dominance and solutions in evolutionary psychology.

Unit 1: Foundation of evolutionary psychology

  • a Historical development, landmarks in evolution of human beings & common misunderstandings
  • b Origins of human nature, evolutionary game theory.
  • c Evolution of psychological mechanism, evolutionary and psychological foundation of human behavior, psychological basis of culture
  • d Research methods and hypothesis-testing in evolutionary psychology, use and misuse of Darwinism

Unit 2: Major aspects of evolutionary theory: survival and mating

  • a Problems of survival: food acquisition, human fearsand landscape and shelter preferences.
  • b Mate selection and sexual strategies
  • c Women’s long-term mating strategies, men’s long-term mating strategies
  • d Short-term sexual strategies across sexes

Unit 3: Parenting and social behavior

  • a Parenting: maternal involvement, parental involvement, parent-offspring conflict
  • b Kinship: theory of implicit and inclusive fitness and empirical support
  • c Cooperation: evolution of cooperation, reciprocal altruism,
  • d Cognitive adaptations for social exchange

Unit 4: Social behavior and specific topics

  • a Aggression as solution to adaptive problem& empirical evidence, sex differences in aggression, conflicts between sexes.
  • b Evolution of morality. evolution of Art. Evolution of Emotions.
  • c Cognitive development, modularity of mind, and innateness issues,
  • d Status, prestige and social dominance.

Books to Study

  • 1 Barkow, J. H., Cosmides, L., Tooby, J. (1992). The adapted mind . Oxford University Press.
  • 2 Buss, D. (2011). Evolutionary Psychology: A new Science of Mind . Pearson Education.
  • 3 Dunbar, R. I. M. (2005). Evolutionary Psychology: A Beginner's Guide . One world.

Books for reference

  • 1 Buss, D. (2005). The Handbook of Evolutionary Psychology . John Wiley & Sons, Inc
  • 2 Dunbar, R. and Barret, L. (2007). The Oxford Handbook of Evolutionary Psychology . Oxford University Press.
  • 3 Hampton, S. (2010). Essential Evolutionary Psychology . Sage Publications Ltd.
  • 4 Lauser, M. (2006). Moral minds: The nature of right and wrong . Harper Collins.
  • 5 Pinker, S. (2006). The Blank Slate: The Modern Denial of Human Nature . Penguin.
  • 6 Pinker, S. (1999). How the Mind Works . New York: WW Norton & Co.
  • 7 Pinker, S. (1994). The Language Instinct . Penguin.
  • 8 Swami, V. (2011). Evolutionary Psychology: A Critical Introduction . BPS Blackwell textbook
  • 9 Workman L. (2008). Evolutionary Psychology: An Introduction . Cambridge University Press.
  • 10 De Waal, F. B. M. (2008). Putting the altruism back into altruism: The evolution of empathy. Annual Review of Psychology, 59, 279-300.
  • 11 Nesse& Ellsworth (2009). Evolution, emotions, and emotional disorders. American Psychologist, 64, 129-139.
  • 12 Tooby, J. and Cosmides, L. (2010). The Evolutionary Psychology of the Emotions and Their Relationship to Internal Regulatory Variables. In Lewis, M., Haviland- Jones, J. M., & Barrett, L. F. (Eds.). Handbook of emotions (3rd edition). New York, NY: Guilford.
  • 13 Lieberman, D., Tooby, J. &Cosmides, L. (2003). Does morality have a biological basis? An empirical test of the factors governing moral sentiments relating to incest. Proceedings of the Royal Society London (Biological Sciences) , 02PB0795 , 1-8.

Reproduced from the University of Mumbai syllabus for M.A. (Psychology), Semester I and II, AC 07/07/2023, Item No. 5.5 (N), in force from the academic year 2023-24. Wording and numbering are as printed there; the marks scheme is in the PDF above.

The complete syllabus

This subject is cut from the University document for its semesters. Open the document here if you want the whole thing rather than a single subject.

PDF University of Mumbai syllabus, M.A. (Psychology), Semester I and II (Item No. 5.5 (N), AC 07/07/2023) Read full PDF Read
PDF University of Mumbai syllabus, M.A. (Psychology), Semester III and IV (Item No. 5.7 (N), AC 12/07/2024) Read full PDF Read
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