Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Criticisms of the Evolutionary Perspective01:23

Criticisms of the Evolutionary Perspective

339
In a study where individuals posing as strangers offered compliments and proposed casual sex to students, the responses differed significantly based on gender. Not a single woman accepted the proposal, while 70% of the men agreed. This outcome provides a useful scenario to explore through the lens of evolutionary psychology and social learning theory, highlighting the diverse perspectives on human sexual behaviors.
Evolutionary psychology provides one explanation for these findings, suggesting...
339
Evolutionary Psychology01:20

Evolutionary Psychology

944
Evolutionary psychology explores the origins of human behavior and mental processes by framing them within the context of natural selection, a theory famously propounded by Charles Darwin. This field asserts that many behaviors common across human societies — ranging from instinctive fear reactions to complex social interactions — arose as evolutionary adaptations. These adaptations enhanced the survival and reproductive success of our ancestors, thereby becoming embedded in the...
944
The Evidence for Evolution02:55

The Evidence for Evolution

47.6K
Genetic variations accumulating within populations over generations give rise to biological evolution. Evolutionary changes can result in the formation of novel varieties and entire new species. These changes are responsible for the diverse forms of life inhabiting the planet. The evidence for evolution suggests that all living organisms descended from common ancestors.
47.6K
Introduction to Learning01:18

Introduction to Learning

972
Learning is the process of acquiring knowledge or skills through practice or experience, leading to long-lasting behavioral changes. This acquisition occurs through interaction with the environment and requires practice or experience. For instance, mastering a skill such as surfing requires considerable practice and experience, highlighting the essential role of repeated interactions with the environment in learning.
In contrast to learned behaviors, unlearned behaviors such as crying, sexual...
972
What is Evolutionary History?02:35

What is Evolutionary History?

42.9K
Scientists record evolutionary history by analyzing fossil, morphological, and genetic data. The fossil record documents the history of life on Earth and provides evidence for evolution. However, both fossil and living organisms offer evidence that outlines Earth’s evolutionary history.
42.9K
Cognitive Learning01:21

Cognitive Learning

1.0K
Cognitive learning is based on purposive behavior, incidental learning, and insight learning.
E. C. Tolman's theory of purposive behavior emphasizes that much behavior is goal-directed. He argued that to understand behavior, we must look at the entire sequence of actions leading to a goal. For instance, high school students study hard, not just due to past reinforcement but also to achieve the goal of getting into a good college.
Tolman introduced the idea that behavior is influenced by...
1.0K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Commonly observed sex differences in direct aggression are absent or reversed in sibling contexts.

PNAS nexus·2025
Same author

A worldwide test of the predictive validity of ideal partner preference matching.

Journal of personality and social psychology·2024
Same author

Levels of analysis and explanatory progress in psychology: Integrating frameworks from biology and cognitive science for a more comprehensive science of the mind.

Psychological review·2024
Same author

No Support for Two Hypotheses About the Communicative Functions of Displaying Disgust: Evidence From Turkey, Norway, Germany, and Croatia.

Evolutionary psychology : an international journal of evolutionary approaches to psychology and behavior·2023
Same author

Evidence that the aesthetic preference for Hogarth's Line of Beauty is an evolutionary by-product.

Scientific reports·2023
Same author

Publisher Correction: Fundamental social motives measured across forty-two cultures in two waves.

Scientific data·2022
Same journal

Cumulative adverse childhood experiences and parent-reported allergic conditions and asthma among U.S. children: A nationally representative study.

The American psychologist·2026
Same journal

Natural disaster, social cohesion, and prosociality: A natural experiment.

The American psychologist·2026
Same journal

Practice guidelines regarding psychologists' involvement in pharmacological issues.

The American psychologist·2026
Same journal

International Competences for Undergraduate Psychology (ICUP): A constructive shift for psychology?

The American psychologist·2026
Same journal

Two dimensions of access: Availability and affordability of mental health care across the United States.

The American psychologist·2026
Same journal

Revisiting secondary antisemitism: Antisemitism as a cause, not a consequence, of ingroup-serving Holocaust distortions.

The American psychologist·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 18, 2026

Creating Objects and Object Categories for Studying Perception and Perceptual Learning
14:38

Creating Objects and Object Categories for Studying Perception and Perceptual Learning

Published on: November 2, 2012

12.2K

Beyond the evolution versus learning fallacy.

Laith Al-Shawaf1

  • 1Department of Psychology, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs.

The American Psychologist
|May 22, 2025
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

The "evolved vs. learned" dichotomy in behavioral science is a false dichotomy. This research proposes "evolved learning mechanisms" as a more accurate framework, enhancing understanding of behavior and scientific progress.

More Related Videos

Resurrection of Dormant Daphnia magna: Protocol and Applications
07:37

Resurrection of Dormant Daphnia magna: Protocol and Applications

Published on: January 19, 2018

19.4K
Daily Transfers, Archiving Populations, and Measuring Fitness in the Long-Term Evolution Experiment with Escherichia coli
15:00

Daily Transfers, Archiving Populations, and Measuring Fitness in the Long-Term Evolution Experiment with Escherichia coli

Published on: August 18, 2023

4.2K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jan 18, 2026

Creating Objects and Object Categories for Studying Perception and Perceptual Learning
14:38

Creating Objects and Object Categories for Studying Perception and Perceptual Learning

Published on: November 2, 2012

12.2K
Resurrection of Dormant Daphnia magna: Protocol and Applications
07:37

Resurrection of Dormant Daphnia magna: Protocol and Applications

Published on: January 19, 2018

19.4K
Daily Transfers, Archiving Populations, and Measuring Fitness in the Long-Term Evolution Experiment with Escherichia coli
15:00

Daily Transfers, Archiving Populations, and Measuring Fitness in the Long-Term Evolution Experiment with Escherichia coli

Published on: August 18, 2023

4.2K

Area of Science:

  • Behavioral Science
  • Evolutionary Psychology
  • Cognitive Science

Background:

  • The behavioral sciences often incorrectly frame behavior as either "evolved" or "learned."
  • This false dichotomy hinders research and understanding in psychology and related fields.
  • A persistent misconception pits evolutionary explanations against learning-based explanations for behavior.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To deconstruct the fallacious "evolved vs. learned" dichotomy in behavioral science.
  • To propose "evolved learning mechanisms" as a more accurate explanatory framework.
  • To illustrate how integrating evolution and learning advances psychological understanding.

Main Methods:

  • Conceptual analysis of the relationship between evolution and learning.
  • Examination of specific mechanisms where evolution shapes learning processes.
  • Case studies illustrating the benefits of the "evolved learning mechanisms" framework.

Main Results:

  • Demonstrates that the "evolved vs. learned" dichotomy is a scientifically inaccurate construct.
  • Identifies concrete ways evolution and learning function as complementary explanatory partners.
  • Highlights how reframing this relationship removes barriers in behavioral science research.

Conclusions:

  • Adopting the "evolved learning mechanisms" concept resolves the false dichotomy.
  • This integrated approach promises to accelerate progress and optimize resource allocation in behavioral sciences.
  • A nuanced understanding of evolved learning is crucial for advancing psychological theory and application.