Evolutionary principles are at the heart of family dynamics.
Having children is a social norm. Not only are you genetically programmed to reproduce, but society also pushes you to do it. People who can’t have kids because of infertility or situational reasons feel great distress because they wanted kids but couldn’t have them. They’re breaking a social norm, but not intentionally. Society doesn’t judge …
There are systems everywhere in nature. A system has parts that do their work to sustain the system and make it work. If one part of a system changes or breaks down, it can change or break down the whole system. A family can be seen as a system. Each family member is a ‘part’ …
For many, it’s hard to imagine that a mother can hate her own child. This is because mothers typically invest more in their offspring than fathers. For this reason, a mother’s love is considered ‘divine’ and ‘pure’. However, there are exceptions to this norm. Some mothers do hate their children. Some mothers treat their children …
Sibling relationships are a fascinating mix of love, care, rivalry, and jealousy. Siblings compete with each other for parental resources so they can ensure their survival. But they also have a desire to care for and help each other because they share 50% of their genes with one another. Consequently, the type of relationship you …
Having kids is such a default aspect of human life that if you asked someone why they want kids, they’d probably reply- in a tone of disbelief- with something like: “What do you mean?!” It’s something you’re not supposed to question. It’s something that everyone does by default. In worst-case scenarios, you may get judged …
A toxic family is defined as one where there’s a consistent pattern of family members exhibiting harmful behaviors toward other members. While conflict is a normal part of a family dynamic, a toxic family handles conflict in ways that are damaging to one or more members. In a toxic family, there’s a constant pattern of …
Matt was sure he loved his brother Jeff and believed himself to be free from sibling rivalry. After all, he had never experienced any sibling jealousy. He could recall experiencing only mild sibling jealousy once or twice in his childhood. That’s it. Both in their late twenties now, Jeff recently got into a relationship while …
Why are babies so cute and adorable? Why are we compelled, as if by some mysterious force, to hold and nurture cute babies? According to Austrian scientist Konrad Lorenz, it’s all about the baby’s physical features. He discovered that certain features in human and animal babies trigger care-taking behaviors in parents. Specifically, these features are: Animal …
Before we tackle the question of why parents prefer sons over daughters, let’s review some fundamental concepts of evolutionary biology and psychology. You need to have an understanding of these concepts before proceeding and if you’re already familiar with them, a nice little review won’t hurt. Reproductive potential It is the number of children an …
This article will explore the psychology of fatherless daughters in light of evolutionary theory. There are broadly two types of heterosexual mating strategies that humans pursue: short-term and the long-term mating strategy. Short-term mating strategy means forming brief relationships with multiple partners while a long-term mating strategy means forming an enduring relationship, typically with one …