Which field studies the evolution of behavior and the mind using natural selection principles?

The field that studies the evolution of behavior and the mind using principles of natural selection is evolutionary psychology. This discipline explores how evolutionary processes, such as natural selection, have shaped psychological traits and behaviors in humans and other species. By analyzing how certain behaviors may have provided survival and reproductive advantages in ancestral environments, evolutionary psychology seeks to understand the underlying mechanisms that drive current human behavior, cognition, and emotional responses.

The focus on natural selection allows researchers to formulate hypotheses about why certain cognitive functions or social behaviors emerged as adaptations, and how these traits have facilitated human survival and social cohesion. Through this lens, various aspects of human psychology, such as parenting, mating strategies, and social cooperation, can be examined in a biological and evolutionary context, revealing the deep connections between our evolutionary past and present behavior.