Life History Theory and Evolutionary Psychology

Abstract In this chapter we present an overview of life history theory and review its main psychological applications. We first discuss basic trade‐offs in life history allocations and introduce the concept of life history strategies. We then consider the evolution of life history strategies at the population level and their development at the individual level. Next, we explore the question of which physiological and psychological mechanisms mediate the development and organization of life history strategies. Finally, we review current applications of life history theory to human growth and development, individual differences in developmental trajectories, personality, and psychopathology. We conclude with a…