Skip to content
10.  Evolution, Emotion, and Reason: Evolution and Rationality episode artwork

Oct 16, 2026 1 hr 6 min

10. Evolution, Emotion, and Reason: Evolution and Rationality

from YaleCourses Hosted by YaleCourses

Introduction to Psychology (PSYC 110)Uploaded 01-10-08This lecture introduces students to the study of psychology from an evolutionary perspective, the idea that like the body, natural selection has shaped the development of the human mind. Prominent arguments for and against the theory of natural selection and its relationship to human psychology are reviewed. Students will hear several examples of how studying mental phenomenon from an evolutionary perspective can help constrain theories in psychology as well as explain many prevalent human instincts that underlie many of our most basic behaviors and decisions.00:00 - Chapter 1. The Modern Biological Account of the Origin of Psychological Phenomena13:35 - Chapter 2. Avoiding Misconceptions When Applying Evolutionary Theory to Psychology22:38 - Chapter 3. Claims Against the Evolutionary Psychology26:42 - Chapter 4. Ways in Which Evolution Helps Describe the Mind39:43 - Chapter 5. Heuristics: Framing Effects, Base Rates, Availability Bias and Confirmation BiasComplete course materials are available at the Yale Online website: online.yale.eduThis course was recorded in Spring 2007.

Episode details come from the podcast's RSS feed.

Embed this episode

Ready to play

10. Evolution, Emotion, and Reason: Evolution and Rationality

0:00 1:06:33

No transcript yet.

Requests help us decide what to transcribe next.

Frequently asked questions

How long is this episode of YaleCourses?

This episode is 1 hour and 6 minutes long.

When was this YaleCourses episode published?

This episode was published on October 16, 2026.

Can I download this YaleCourses episode?

Yes. Use the download control on the episode player to save the publisher-provided media file.