The Adapted Mind

The Adapted Mind: Evolutionary Psychology and the Generation of Culture is an edited volume, first published in 1992 by Oxford University Press, edited by Jerome Barkow, Leda Cosmides and John Tooby. It is widely considered the foundational text of evolutionary psychology (EP), and outlines Cosmides & Tooby's integration of concepts from sociobiology and cognitive psychology, as well as many other concepts that would become important in adaptationism research. It also addresses the specific topic areas that had developed in EP at the time of its publishing, including mating preferences, parental investment, language, social exchange, and the relationship between individual-level adaptations and culture.

Controversy

Much like the text that established sociobiology, The Adapted Mind provoked critical reactions among many in the fields of both psychology and biology. One direct, albeit recent, reference to the text in a critical context includes David Buller's "Adapting Minds: Evolutionary Psychology and the Persistent Quest for Human Nature." The continuing debate over evolutionary psychology is covered in the main page for evolutionary psychology.