#evolutionary explanation

[psych-statements]

2. Causal Explanations in Psychology

There are three types of biological causal explanations in Psychology:

1. Neural Explanations All mental experiences and behavioral acts are products of the nervous system. The research specialty that centers on this level of explanation is referred to as behavioral neuroscience

2. Genetic Explanations Genes are the units of heredity that provide the codes for building the entire body, including the brain. Differences among individuals in the genes they inherit can cause differences in the brain, and therefore, differences in mental experiences and behavior. The research specialty that attempts to explain psychological differences among individuals in terms of differences in their genes is called behavioral genetics. 

3. Evolutionary Explanations All the basic biological machinery underlying behavior and mental experience, coded by genes, is a product of evolution by natural selection. One way to explain universal human characteristics, therefore, is to explain how or why they came about in the course of evolution. The research specialty concerned with this level of analysis is called evolutionary psychology.

Further readings:  D. Brett King, Wayne Viney & William Woody (2009). A history of psychology: Ideas and context (4th ed.). Boston: Pearson. 

Jeroen Jansz & Peter van Drunen (Eds.) (2004). A social history of psychology. Malden, MA: Blackwell. 

Peter Gray (2011). Psychology (6th ed.). Boston College.