Definition
The process by which our psychological mechanisms are exploited by evolutionary mismatch, or the effect by which our rate of technological advancements far outweighs the speed of evolution, leading to a “mismatch effect.”
Introduction
As discussed in the previous chapter, evolutionary mismatch is a phenomenon by which our minds are still essentially Stone Age minds meant for hunter-gatherer lives. The rate of technological advancement has been far too fast for our bodies to catch up, leading to various situations by which we are “mismatched” with our bodies to our current environment. Many businesses have taken advantage of this mismatch effect and sell their product through the knowledge of what will appeal to consumers based on what we psychologically desire.
Food and Other Products
Food is a classic example of something that is taken advantage of to appeal to consumers. Turning on any TV station will inevitably...
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References
Anschutz, D. J., Engels, R. C., van der Zwaluw, C. S., & Van Strien, T. (2011). Sex differences in young adults’ snack food intake after food commercial exposure. Appetite, 56(2), 255–260.
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Kenrick, D. T. (2011). Sex, murder, and the meaning of life: A psychologist investigates how evolution, cognition, and complexity are revolutionizing our view of human nature. New York: Basic Books.
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Rolon, V., Betancourt, K. (2018). Exploitation of Psychological Mechanisms. In: Shackelford, T., Weekes-Shackelford, V. (eds) Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_412-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_412-1
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