Applied Evolutionary Psychology

Evolutionary psychology provides a powerful theoretical framework for understanding the origins of human and non-human behaviors, focusing on the adaptive functions of psychological mechanisms shaped by natural and sexual selection. Increasingly, these evolutionary insights are being translated into real-world contexts, offering new perspectives and solutions for challenges in fields as varied as organizational behavior, education, health, morality, and religion. For example, evolutionary theories of cooperation, empathy, and group dynamics inform approaches to fostering ethical behavior and understanding religious practices, while principles of sexual selection and social cognition have direct implications for improving teamwork, leadership, and workplace culture. Applied evolutionary psychology thus bridges fundamental research with practice, enabling both interdisciplinary research and innovative applications that address contemporary social, organizational, moral, and media-related issues.

The primary goal of this Research Topic is to bridge fundamental evolutionary psychology research with practical applications. This topic aims to showcase empirical studies, reviews, and theoretical contributions that implement evolutionary principles to inform, innovate, or improve outcomes in fields including but not limited to healthcare, organizational management, education, law, religion, and public policy. By integrating evolutionary insights with applied contexts, this topic seeks to foster interdisciplinary approaches and translational research that benefit both individuals and societies.

Submissions to this topic are encouraged to explore, but are not limited to:

o Morality and Religion: Evolutionary analyses of empathy, moral decision-making, religiosity, and the adaptive value of moral and spiritual systems in guiding social behavior.
o Organizational Evolutionary Psychology: Application of evolutionary theory to the workplace, examining leadership, cooperation and competition, group dynamics, and organizational culture.
o Medicine and Health: Evolutionary perspectives on disease, healthcare behaviors, medical decision-making, mental health, and interventions aimed at promoting adaptive health outcomes.
o Law and Public Policy: Evolution-informed studies of legal systems, conflict resolution, risk perception, and strategies for fostering prosocial or ethical behaviors.
o Education and Development: Leveraging evolutionary understanding to inform teaching practices, child development, and educational system design.
o Media Psychology: Research on how evolved cognitive and motivational systems shape, for example, media use, attention, information processing, susceptibility to misinformation, online social signaling, social interaction (e.g. in online dating), or parasocial interaction. This includes the adaptive functions of narrative and emotional engagement, the psychology of virality, and the impact of modern media environments on well-being and social behavior.
o Interdisciplinary Approaches: Integrations of evolutionary psychology with disciplines like neuroscience, anthropology, biology, economics, and sociology to address societal challenges.
o Other Applications: Any practical field where evolutionary theory provides novel insight or application, including but not limited to sports, marketing, environmental behavior, or urban planning.

Submissions should offer in-depth analysis of the adaptive nature of traits and behaviors, their sensitivity to biological and environmental cues, and their relevance to real-world outcomes. Cross-cultural research, multinational collaborations, and studies integrating survey data with behavioral or organizational measures are especially encouraged.