Since psychology studies the human mind and behavior of people and thus it incorporates and implements various scientific fields and methods to do so. One of this discipline’s branches, evolutionary psychology, states that people’s actions and decisions are primarily defined by instincts formed over millions of years that our ancestors developed (George et al., 2020). Although this belief is generally accurate, my view is that it is an oversimplification, considering that the human brain and consciousness are more complex than any other species in the animal kingdom.
Evolutionary psychology’s theories have one significant advantage and disadvantage. Its main strength is that people’s responses to various external stimuli are indeed defined by neurobiology that developed for millions of years. For example, the neurotransmitter circuit of dopamine and the reward system made ancient people seek food and partners for surviving and leaving offspring (George et al., 2020). The same applies to individuals nowadays, but with the distinction of methods they utilize to survive. In fact, the same understanding of neurotransmitters can be used to explain the abuse of addictive substances when people no longer need to act to find food or fight wild predators. The primary weakness of such perceptions is that human cognition is too complex to explain any behavior in terms of evolutionary-formed circuits because that basically eliminates the concept of free will (George et al., 2020). The latter became particularly possible due to the formation, modification, and advancement of the neocortex, which is responsible for self-consciousness and critical thinking.
Many people nowadays do not live within a straightforward loop of finding food and surviving because the majority have an opportunity to fulfill some basic needs. Additionally, most children and young adults can access at least some education and knowledge to strive for a better life. Since neurons are able to learn through repetitive firing and wiring of specific axons by, for instance, reading, observing, and mimicking, people can adapt and change to decide if they will respond to external stimuli.
In conclusion, evolutionary psychology explains people’s behavior based on instincts and neurobiology that humans formed over their evolutionary development. In its general terms, evolutionary psychology aligns with my worldview when I explain how children, adolescents, and some adults behave. However, I believe that this view is overly simplistic for the modern world, considering the amount of information people receive daily, access to technology, and individuals’ inherent ability to learn and outgrow primal instincts.
Reference
George, S., Kelley, B., & Piferi, R. (2020). Introduction to psychology from a Christian worldview (2nd ed.). Kendull Hunt.