Learning Goals for Psychology 459: Evolutionary Psychology

Michael Beecher

  1. To develop a sophisticated understanding of the evolutionary approach to behavior and psychological mechanisms and a critical attitude toward applications of this approach.
  2. To broaden your understanding of psychology through experience with a wide range of applications of the evolutionary approach to behavioral and psychological problem areas.
  3. To develop the critical thinking skills necessary to evaluate and explain psychological issues and arguments from this relatively novel approach in psychology.
  4. To develop oral communication skills through active participation during in-class discussions.
  5. To develop skills in evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of scientific articles in terms of the clarity of the underlying theory, the specificity of the predictions tested, the logic and internal consistency of the methods and experimental design, the degree to which the findings address the researcher’s hypotheses, and the alternative explanations for the findings that are possible.
  6. To develop skills in presentation of material to a class in seminar format (including PowerPoint presentation).
  7. To develop written communication skills, i.e., the ability to present a written argument that is logical and coherent, that relies on scientific evidence, and that draws appropriate conclusions from that evidence.

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