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Eight Myths of Child Social Development: An Evolutionary Approach to Power, Aggression, and Social Competence

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Evolutionary Perspectives on Child Development and Education

Part of the book series: Evolutionary Psychology ((EVOLPSYCH))

Abstract

Through the presentation of eight “myths”, the present chapter addresses evolution and children’s social development, especially as it relates to children’s aggression, social competence, and power. The first section addresses the independence of evolutionary selfishness from psychological selfishness. The second and third sections demonstrate the instrumentality of prosociality and the utility of considering function over form in exploring the adaptive aspects of aggression. The fourth and fifth sections address how cheaters in fact can prosper, and that aggression does not necessarily lead to ostracism from the group. Sections six and seven dispel the myths that social dominance and status is important only in adolescence and that power is the purview of males. Finally, section eight discusses why power matters in child development.

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  1. Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, USA

    Patricia H. Hawley

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  1. Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, USA

    David C. Geary

  2. Curry School of Education, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA

    Daniel B. Berch

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Hawley, P.H. (2016). Eight Myths of Child Social Development: An Evolutionary Approach to Power, Aggression, and Social Competence. In: Geary, D., Berch, D. (eds) Evolutionary Perspectives on Child Development and Education. Evolutionary Psychology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-29986-0_6

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