Explore the evolutionary origins of human aggression.
Aggression is any behavior intended to harm others. The harm can be physical or psychological. Here, the key word is ‘intended’ because unintended harm is not aggression. For instance, accidental harm like hitting someone with your car is not aggression. Punching someone definitely is. It gets blurry and controversial when we talk about the different …
To understand what causes nationalism and explore in-depth the psychology of nationalists, we have to start with understanding what the term nationalism means. Nationalism is the belief that the nation to which one belongs is superior to other nations. It is characterized by viewing one’s nation favorably and showing exaggerated love and support for one’s …
This article will explore the psychology of sexual harassment, throwing light on why sexual harassment is committed by men more often and how it’s linked to power. Sexual harassment or sexual coercion occurs when someone tries to gain sexual favors from another person without their consent. While this can happen to both sexes, male-on-female sexual …
Premenstrual syndrome (PMS), or period mood swings in women, is a complex condition, a tough nut to crack. It’s mainly because its symptoms are wide-ranging and vary considerably in severity from one woman to another. PMS occurs in what is known as the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle. It’s a two-week phase between ovulation …
This article explores the psychology of honour killings- killings in which a family kills one of their own for bringing ‘shame’ and ‘dishonour’ to the family. Mostly, it’s the young women (with 23 being the worldwide average age) who’re the victims of honour killings and this practice, though more common in some cultures compared to …
It’s reasonably hard for many to conceive how on earth could a mother ever decide to take the life of her own baby. After all, we’ve all been told that motherhood is divine and mother’s love unconditional and sacrosanct. Yet, it’s a fact of life that infanticide happens and, as you’ll find out when you’re …
This article will attempt to explain the psychology of gangs and gang violence in men using the concept of a dominance hierarchy. Timmy, a boy of fifth grade, was eating lunch at school, relishing his delectable dish in the peace and quiet of the school’s dining hall. Suddenly, out of nowhere, Jimmy and his friends …
Why do people go to war? Why do humans engage in warfare at all? At first blush, engaging in warfare seems to make no evolutionary sense. After all, if survival and reproduction are our core needs, why would we ever want to engage in an activity where the chances of us getting killed are so high? To …
The bell rang and the high school kids rushed out with vigor as if released from prison. As they were leaving their classrooms, boys and girls showed different kinds of behaviors. While the girls walked slowly and with grace, boys could be seen doing a number of things such as kicking one another, tripping and hitting …
This article will look at why physical aggression is so prevalent in men from an evolutionary perspective. Understanding the evolutionary benefits of aggression for men may provide insights into what circumstances trigger such behavior. But first, consider the following scenario: The boy was just fourteen and he had blood smeared all over the front of …