Nudging evolutionary mismatched behaviors: Implications for social psychology and public policy

• Main Authors: Van Vugt, Mark, De Vries, Lianne P., LI, Norman P.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University 2020
• Subjects: Social Psychology; Theory and Philosophy
• Online Access: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/soss_research/3229; https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/context/soss_research/article/4486/viewcontent/vanVugtSSSP2019.pdf
• Institution: Singapore Management University

Evolutionary mismatch is an important concept in evolutionary social psychology and may play a significant role in accounting for numerous maladaptive choice preferences of humans living in evolutionary novel environments. Here we review evidence in support of mismatched preferences in the context of romantic relationships, work settings, politics, and healthy and sustainable lifestyles. In developing interventions to change mismatched preferences (e.g., via nudges or incentives), it is crucial to consider the constraints and opportunities of our evolved psychology.