Naturally Selected

Understanding the human animal in the workplace

Mark Van Vugt Ph.D.

Evolutionary Mismatch

The world in which humans live today is very different to the world in which humans evolved. The result is mismatch. Understanding mismatch is crucial to improving human welfare.

How Our Kids Learn Naturally

How do we stimulate the natural learning capacities of our children better in classrooms around the world?

7 Steps to Becoming a Dictator

As a democratically elected leader, getting absolute power is no easy feat. Here are some helpful tips for a prolonged iron rule.

Did Hillary Clinton Fall Victim to the Queen Bee Effect?

Why are women leaders not getting the top jobs in politics and business? The Queen Bee syndrome offers an explanation. Finding solutions is important for high potential women.

God Is Watching You

Is God our Big Brother who watches over us to make sure we do not do anything bad or foolish?

The Social Psychology of Brexit

How can social psychology contribute to understanding the consequences of Brexit for the European Union? Exit-voice-loyalty theory offers some suggestions and solutions.

Do You Have the Face of a Leader?

Can we predict the outcome of the presidential elections based on facial cues? Face research suggests that we make snapshot judgments about the leadership abilities of individuals.

The Qualities of Leaders

What makes a good leader? The way leaders are chosen and how they lead may not be so different between humans and others in the animal world. This is important to consider when we make decisions about our political leaders.

Understanding Primates – and Donald Trump

By scientific criteria, Donald Trump is not a natural leader. How can we then explain his popularity among certain groups of American voters?

Can We Trust Psychological Studies?

Failure to replicate many psychological experiments offers gloomy picture of our field. Yet it is not as bad as it looks and there are ways out of the replication "crisis."

Challenges for Leaders in the Digital Age

Communication is hugely important for leader effectiveness. Yet when managers and subordinates work remotely the quality of communications suffers. How can we improve remote leadership given the constraints of the human mind.

Does It Take Competition to Make You a Good Leader?

Leadership modifies organizational culture. An evolutionary niche construction perspective explains why some leaders work for the good of their organization while others turn out to be selfish and destructive leaders.

The Social Psychology of Radicalization and Extremism

What causes young Muslims to radicalize and what should Western governments do to prevent it? Some relevant insights from social psychological theories of group polarization into radicalization and political extremism and some antidotes.

Why Our Brains Are Hardwired for Conspiracy Theories

Why do we believe in conspiracy theories? Why are they so persuasive, and how can we resist them? Here's an evolutionary perspective.

ISIS and the Real Reason Why Young Muslim Men Join the Jihad

IS(IS) attracts many young Western Muslim men to go and fight a war far away from home. But why? The reasons are psychological, and lie deep in our evolutionary history. So too are the solutions to this crisis.

Age and Leadership: The Wisdom of Elders and Elephants

In an era of change and innovation do businesses and societies still need older leaders or should they go for the young and bright? Understanding the relation between age and leadership.

The Downing of Plane MH17: A Personal Perspective

A personal perspective from the Netherlands on the MH17 plane disaster in the Ukraine

Watching the World Cup: The Tribal Psychology of Football

Is the World Cup football in Brazil a ritualized form of primitive warfare? Is watching football good or bad for your physical and mental health? Why do football players attract so much sexual attention? Do the tribal colors the football teams wear at the World Cup predict their success? The World Cup in Brazil viewed through the lens of an evolutionary psychologist

Does Putin Suffer From the Napoleon Complex?

Is there such a thing as the Napoleon Complex? And does it apply to Russian President Vladimir Putin and his need for power?

The Wisdom of Crowds and the Search for Flight MH370

Can the Wisdom of Crowds effect be used to solve the mystery of Flight MH370? Are the masses more intelligent than the experts?

Coping with Status Loss: The Hidden Cost of Unemployment

Being unemployed affects your social status. The consequences of status loss for your mental and physical health are real, but underappreciated by society. I refer to the status-health association as the Titanic effect. As Europe still faces massive unemployment, it is time for policy makers to consider these risks to avoid another Titanic disaster.

The Charismatic Appeal of Nelson Mandela

How do we explain the charismatic appeal of Nelson Mandela? His outstanding personal qualities made a difference. Yet his charismatic powers were primarily a reflection of the anxieties, needs and desires of his nation, South-Africa, and the world at large.

Does Green Improve Your Self-control?

Does nature improve self-control? Recent studies suggest that exposure to natural landscapes makes people less impulsive in their decision-making, whereas exposure to urban landscapes increases their impulsiveness. With the majority of the world now living in cities we must find creative ways to connect with nature, particularly for kids who struggle with self-control.

The Talent Myth in Sports (Football) and Business

The talent myth suggests that star players do not neccessarily raise team performances. When there are too many stars in a team conflicts emerge and natural hierarchies disappear, This has huge implications for the effectiveness of teams in business and sports like football (soccer) where record fees are being paid to bring in star players.

Being Helpful at Work Pays...Quite Literally!

Being a good, prosocial employee pays off in the end: Research shows that individuals with a good reputation are preferred as co-workers. They even get a higher starting salary i a new job. So nice guys and girls get a head start in their working career.

How the Myth of Self-interest Caused the Global Crisis

The global financial crisis and the collapse of banks and businesses could have been prevented if we designed our firms and nations based on a sound understanding of human nature. So make way Homo Economicus!

The Sound of a Leader: CEOs With Deep Voices Do Better

Why do we prefer John as manager over Mary? Why does CEO Peter earn more money than CEO Matthew? The surprising answer is that their voice may have something to do with it.

What Your Name Says About You, Loud and Clear

What's in a baby name? Should we name our son Thomas or Henry and should we name our daughter Lily or Allison? Baby names may reflect a desire among parents to have more masculine sons and more feminine daughters, according to the latest research.

5 Insights Into Female Leadership from Watching Borgen

There are many important lessons about leadership in works of fiction. The cult Scandinavian politics TV series Borgen is no exception. The main character is a woman, Birgitte Nyborg, the Prime Minister of Denmark. The series offer some great insights into female versus male leadership, perhaps with a sad conclusion.

Why We (and Only We) Cry

We all cry, but what are the biological and evolutionary functions behind the tears that we shed? Why are humans the only animal capable of producing tears when experiencing joy or sorrow? Here are some clues based on the latest scientific findings and the book and movie "Life of Pi."

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