Evolutionary Psychology

I love evolutionary psychology. It is a relatively new field that sheds a bright light on human behavior. It tries to explain behaviors that are universal to the human species, but that we usually take for granted. For example:
* Why are small children cute?
* Why do we find some people more attractive than others?
* Why do couples cheat on each other?
* Why do we find spiders repulsive?

Rarely do we ask these questions, but they are nonetheless important. Some will find evolutionary psychology controversial or even dehumanizing, because it describes our behavior in terms of genes, evolution and fitness maximization. But it is important to bear in mind that just because evolutionary psychology reveals something about human behavior, it does not mean that human behavior 'ought' to be this way, or that the behavior is somehow biologically determined and inevitable. Learning about it can in some cases help us make more conscious and responsible decisions.
To learn more about this fascinating topic:

- The Sweaty T-Shirt Experiment: Nice & short introductory video.

- Evolutionary Psychology: Great introductory page, easy to follow.

- Toby & Cosmides Primer: Excellent primer by the founders of the field, a little more academic.