进化心理学：当代西方心理学发展的一种新取向

进化心理学是近年在西方心理学中出现的一种新的研究取向,目前仍没有一个明确的概念和系统的理论.其基本主张是:过去是理解心理机制的关键,功能分析是理解心理机制的主要途径,心理机制是在解决问题的过程中演化形成的,模块性是心理机制整体组织的特性,人的行为是心理机制和环境互动作用的结果.它的发展与当代科学发展趋势相一致,它的研究促进了对人性和心理的进一步思考,开辟了心理学的一些新的研究领域;对其它学科的研究具有重要的启发作用.但它具有遗传决定论的倾向,方法论存在一定的缺陷,忽视了文化对进化的意义等等.

Evolutionary Psychology:A New Approach to the Development of Contemporary Western Psychology

Evolutionary psychology is a new research approach emerged in the Western psychology in recent years without a definite concept and systematic theory at present. Its basic principle is as follows: the past is the key to understand the present;functional analysis is the way to understand the mental mechanisms; the mental mechanisms evolved during the course of solving problems; the modularity is the characteristic of mental mechanisms;the human behavior is the outcome of the interaction between mental mechanisms and environment. The development of evolutionary psychology has some significance, as well as some limitations. Its significance includes:its development is consistent with the development of the contemporary science; its research stimulate the thinking about the human mind and human nature; it sets up some new research field;its research has important enlightenments to other discipline. Its limitations include: it has the tendency of hereditary determinism; its methodology has some defects and neglect the meaning of culture to evolution, etc.