Evolutionary Psychology MSc

This course can be undertaken over one year, full-time, or two and a half years, part-time.

Modules are subject to variation and students are advised to check with the College on whether a particular module of interest will be running in their year of entry.

Evolutionary Biology and Research Methods
The evolutionary biology component will cover topics such as levels of analysis in the study of behaviouradaptation and natural selection, sexual selectionlevels of selectioninclusive fitnessphylogenypopulation genetics, molecular evolution, origins of sexhost-pathogen arms racesco-evolutionlife history evolutionhuman evolution.

The research methods component will cover topics such as hypothesis testingexperimental designstatistical methodsobservational methodsquestionnaires and psychometricsphylogeneticcomparative methodsmeta-analysisarchival researchmodellingmultivariate methods.

Evolutionary Psychology
Main topics of study: cognitive adaptationism and domain specificityenvironments of evolutionary adaptednesscross-cultural human universalsselective impairmentssocial status and reputationcognitive sexual dimorphism in mate preferences and jealousyattractiveness and symmetrygustatory adaptations, social exchange and cooperationcoalitional psychologyinterpersonal and coalitional aggressionviolence and homicidespoken languageface recognition and prosopagnosiafunctions of the emotionskinship psychology (recognition, altruism, and inbreeding avoidance)gene-culture co-evolution.

Animal Behaviour and Behavioural Ecology
Main topics of study: levels of analysis, animals as "strategists"optimality theorysexual selection: competition for matessexual selection: post-copulatory competitionsexual selection: mate choiceparental care and parent-offspring conflictforaging and predationcomparative reproductive strategieslife history strategycooperation and conflictanimal models of psychopathologysexual differentiationhormonal regulation of behaviour.

Dissertation Evolutionary Psychology 
Students will conduct an empirical research project investigating an aspect of psychology / behaviour from an evolutionary perspective. The research focus, empirical methods, and analytic techniques will be selected through discussion with their dissertation supervisor.

Cognitive Neuroscience
The module will focus on fundamental issues within cognitive neuroscience, and the way in which neuroimaging in combination with neuropsychology has advanced our understanding. Topics covered will include: learning and memorylanguage and the braincerebral lateralization and specialisationthe control of actionexecutive functions and frontal lobesemotional mechanismsageingdevelopment and plasticity.

Foundations of Cross-Cultural Psychology
Main topics of study: controversies in defining cultureassessing culturethe development of cross-cultural dimensions (individualism/collectivism, the work of the Chinese culture connection, Trompenaars model, Inglehart’s work, Schwartz’s value circumplex) and a critique of cultural dimensionsthe self across cultureemotion and appraisal across cultures.

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