Individual Differences from an Evolutionary Perspective: Basic Processes and Applied Insights

This Research Topic focuses on understanding individual differences, such as personality, intelligence, emotions, and motivation, through an evolutionary lens. Our primary goal is to explore how these differences have been shaped by evolutionary processes and how they contribute to adaptive behavior in humans. We are particularly interested in how traits are sensitive to external and internal cues and how these variations can be understood as potential adaptations.

We invite interdisciplinary research that connects individual differences with genetic, environmental, and social processes, emphasizing evolutionary models, cross-cultural and multinational perspectives, and the integration of empirical data with real-world observations.

This Research Topic is associated with the International Society for the Study of Individual Differences (ISSID) Conference, aiming to bring together experts from disciplines such as biopsychology, behavioral genetics, and cognitive science. We especially encourage submissions from registered presenters at the ISSID Congress and others conducting relevant research.

Submissions should focus on the following topics, with an emphasis on their evolutionary underpinnings:

o The evolutionary origins of emotion and motivation
o Adaptive functions of personality traits
o Evolutionary perspectives on psychopathology and resilience
o The role of genes and personality interactions
o Biological bases of personality and cognition within an evolutionary framework
o Cross-cultural influences on evolutionary processes
o Evolutionary analysis of social behavior and decision-making
o Evolutionary approaches to organizational psychology, with a particular focus on individual differences
o The relevance and impact of human-animal interactions for organizational life

This Research Topic aims to provide a comprehensive platform for cutting-edge research that advances our understanding of the complexity of human individuality and its implications across diverse domains.

This Research Topic has been organized as an apprentice initiative in collaboration with our Chief Editor to involve early-career researchers in editorial responsibilities. Dr. Brud and Dr. Freyth serve as Topic Editors for this collection, under the supervision of our Chief Editor, Prof. Peter Karl Jonason.