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Evolutionary Perspectives on Educational Psychology: Motivation, Instructional Design, and Child Development

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Abstract

An evolutionary perspective on academic learning and schooling more generally helps us to understand why learning comes effortlessly in some domains (e.g., language) but only with extensive instruction and cognitive effort in others (e.g., mathematics); why many students’ self-concepts are more strongly influenced by physical traits and social relationships than by academic achievement; and why many problematic social behaviors, including bullying, persist in school settings. The articles in this special issue provide cutting edge reviews and empirical studies informed by this perspective and help to solidify the foundation for the nascent field of evolutionary educational psychology.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211-2500, USA

    David C. Geary

  2. Open University of the Netherlands, Heerlen, The Netherlands

    Kate M. Xu

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  1. David C. Geary
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  2. Kate M. Xu
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Correspondence to David C. Geary.

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Geary, D.C., Xu, K.M. Evolutionary Perspectives on Educational Psychology: Motivation, Instructional Design, and Child Development. Educ Psychol Rev 34, 2221–2227 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-022-09710-4

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