What are big ideas in evolutionary psychology?

The main idea of evolutionary psychology is that our minds and behaviors are affected by our desire to survive, reproduce, and pass on our genes. Evolutionary psychology is the study of the way in which the mind and body have been affected by the process of evolution. In this view, several mental processes, such as memory and language, are adaptations that make us more fit for survival. These functions are the result of the process of natural selection. The field draws from the related disciplines of evolutionary biology and cognitive psychology.
There are many examples of the forces of evolutionary psychology at work. For example, we guard our relationships with romantic partners because these relationships help us pass on our genes through reproduction. In addition, we favor relatives over other people because these relationships also allow us to pass along our genes (as relatives are genetically similar to us). Language is favorable in the process of natural selection because it allows us to survive better (as we can express our needs and desires to others); therefore, individuals with the capacity for language were selected for in the process of natural selection. Several of the behaviors that humans have developed, such as the ability to detect cheaters, also have evolutionary advantages, and many of our mental processes and behaviors can be explained by the fact that they allow us to have an advantage in the process of survival and reproduction. These traits were favored in the process of natural selection and were passed along from our ancestors to us.