What Is Positive Evolutionary Psychology?

Abstract

Positive evolutionary psychology is the marriage of positive psychology and evolutionary psychology. Evolutionary psychology focuses on using Darwin’s big idea to shed light on all kinds of psychological phenomena. Positive psychology seeks to use the scientific approach to understanding psychological phenomena to help people lead richer lives. Positive evolutionary psychology thus is the use of evolutionary principles to help guide people toward living richer lives. This first chapter spells out the basics of this approach to help set the reader on a journey toward understanding Darwin’s implications for living the good life. Laying the groundwork for the basic assumptions and parameters of positive evolutionary psychology, then, should have the capacity to lead to new research questions and new insights into the positive aspects of the human experience.