Expanding Evolutionary Psychology: toward a Better Understanding of Violence and Aggression

Abstract

The``mainstream'' evolutionary psychology model is currently under criticism from scientists of other persuasions wanting to expand the model or to make it more realistic in various ways. We argue that focusing on the environment as if it consisted only of social (or sociocultural) factors gives too limited a perspective if evolutionary approaches are to understand the behavior of modern humans. Taking the case of violence, we argue that numerous novel environmental factors of nutritional and physical-chemical origin should be considered as relevant proximate factors. The common thesis presented here is that several aspects of the biotic or abiotic environment are able to change brain chemistry, thus predisposing individuals to has greatly in¯uenced this ®eld of research. Through numerous articles, books and lectures he has made the research community as well as the public aware of how nutrition and heavy metals may in¯uence violence and criminal behavior. In Norway, biologist Ivar Mysterud (born 1938) took this message seriously as early as the 1970s. He initiated and headed the ecology and environment part of the broad, introductory course in General Biology (BIO 101) at the Department of Biology, University of Oslo, where he lectured on heavy metals, crime and violence from 1973 until 1999. Ivar Mysterud attempted (in vain) to get media attention for these topics. When the connections between lead exposure, behavior and crime became known after Bryce-Smith and Waldron's article in 1974, this and some other articles on heavy metals and human/animal behavior were sent to Dagbladet (one of the largest newspapers in Norway) and subsequently to the Minister of the Environment/Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland, but to no avail.

Nutritional Cues Tie Living Organisms to Their Environment and Its Sustainability

“…Mental disorders, learning disorders, and mood disorders have all been linked to dietary deficiencies [for reviews, see Ref. ( 17 , 36 )] in antioxidants ( 37 – 39 ) and omega-3 fatty acids [for both nutrients, see Ref. ( 22 , 34 )].…”

“…Several clinical trials have established causal links between human mental acuity and/or violent behavior and dietary deficiencies in omega-3 oils and antioxidants [e.g., Ref. ( 36 , 40 , 41 )]. A combination supplement containing both omega-3 oils and antioxidants produced a significant gain in academic performance ( 42 ) and reductions in antisocial and violent behavior in school children ( 40 ).…”

“…Benefits of ecosystem services derived from a sustainable, resilient environment have been recognized ( 133 ). The specific economic benefits of improving human health through lifestyle management should go beyond the obvious benefits of reduced health-care costs to potential large gains in workforce productivity derived from improved mental health and acuity ( 17 , 36 , 134 , 135 ). Economic benefits of equitable access of the entire human population to nutritious food presumably include not only increased workforce productivity, but also the potential to counteract violent conflict and enhance societal stability.…”

Elevating optimal human nutrition to a central goal of plant breeding and production of plant-based foods

“…As genetic components of disease are uncovered, the often dominant role played by diet and lifestyle in health, and the interaction of diet and genes is becoming increasingly evident (examples include Type 2 diabetes [53], coronary heart disease [16], psychiatric disorders [54], Alzheimer's disease [55], celiac sprue disease [56, 57], death from all causes and depression [22], and etc.). Furthermore, the link of human behavior – violence and aggression in particular – to nutrition is becoming more evident [58]. Given this current trend of discovery, and the relatively modest role that genetics appears to play in complex diseases (www.cdc.gov/genomics/public/index.htm), it seems likely that in the coming decades the connections between health and nutrition will grow very substantially and will be much more fully recognized.…”

The mediating effect of dietary patterns on the association between mother’s education level and the physical aggression of five-year-old children: a population-based cohort study

“…Many factors impact physical aggression in early childhood [5]. One of the proximal factors raising considerable concern is diet [6,7]. Diet has been associated with many conditions such as hyperactivity, attention deficiency, poor impulse control, conduct disorder, and aggressive behaviors [8][9][10].…”