Running head: EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGY VIEW ON VIOLENCE 1 EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGY VIEW ON VIOLENCE 9 Evolutionary Psychology’s View on Violence LaRoya Mitchell Saint Leo University Evolutionary Psychology View on Violence For centuries the issue of human violence has been a matter of concern and intense debate. Due to technical limitations as well as dominant scientific perspectives, several studies on violence in the 20th century, focused on family and sociocultural determinants of violence. However, recent studies connect violent behaviors with evolutionary, biological as well as genetic factors. According to Ferguson and Beaver the world health organization defines violence as “the intentional use of physical force or power, threatened or actual, against oneself, another person, or against a group or community, that either results in or has a high likelihood of resulting in injury, death, psychological harm, maldevelopment or deprivation.” (Ferguson & Beaver, 2009, p287). To a large extent, this clearly defines violence. It is also important to note that some violent acts are positive and as such adaptive. Legally, an individual is allowed to act violently in self-defense or in defense of his or her family and culture. Extreme violence, on the other hand, relates to violent actions in which risks are greater than the potential benefits. The risks involved, whether of personal injury or on an individual’s social esteem outweigh the anticipated positive outcomes. Extreme violence, therefore, amounts to criminal violence (Ferguson & Beaver, 2009). Biologists contend that natural selection rather than mutation is the predominant force behind gene selection and the genetics of populations. It simply implies that organisms are more likely to pass down genes that provide them with selective advantage for the future generations. Even though natural selection happens at individual levels, for particular species facing similar selective challenges, the outcome is generally based on physical features as well as behavior; however, there are some differences among individuals (Ferguson & Beaver, 2009). Moreover, environmental diversity causes behavioral variations among human beings in what is referred to as culture. Although violence levels may vary across different cultures, it is present among all human species. Archeological studies on pre historical cultural aspect of man reveal application of violence among different cultures (McCall & Shields, 2008). The evolutionary perspective of psychology is a scientific observation that seeks for a vivid comprehension of human nature, that is, the evolution mechanism of human’s mind. Although it was established for use in psychological sciences and not practical use, its insights have extensively been used to practically solve societal problems. The evolutionary psychology analysis provides a clear picture on the ...