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Bridging Evolutionary Biology and Developmental Psychology: Toward An Enduring Theoretical Infrastructure
Author(s) -
Frankenhuis Willem E.,
Tiokhin Leonid
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
child development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.103
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1467-8624
pISSN - 0009-3920
DOI - 10.1111/cdev.13021
Subject(s) - evolutionary psychology , metatheory , psychology , cognitive science , epistemology , evolutionary neuroscience , evolutionary theory , social psychology , evolutionary ecology , ecology , biology , philosophy , host (biology)
Bjorklund synthesizes promising research directions in developmental psychology using an evolutionary framework. In general terms, we agree with Bjorklund: Evolutionary theory has the potential to serve as a metatheory for developmental psychology. However, as currently used in psychology, evolutionary theory is far from reaching this potential. In evolutionary biology, formal mathematical models are the norm. In developmental psychology, verbal models are the norm. In order to reach its potential, evolutionary developmental psychology needs to embrace formal modeling.