Which of the following is a common criticism of evolutionary psychology?

• A. It provides no explanation for universal human behaviors.
• B. It often relies on post hoc explanations that are difficult to test empirically.
• C. It completely ignores the role of genetics in human behavior.
• D. It focuses exclusively on cultural factors and disregards biological influences.

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the core premise of evolutionary psychology: it seeks to explain universal human behaviors by considering how evolutionary processes like natural selection have shaped psychological traits.
2. Recognize that evolutionary psychology does not ignore genetics; rather, it emphasizes the interaction between genetic inheritance and environmental factors in shaping behavior.
3. Note that evolutionary psychology does not focus exclusively on cultural factors; it integrates biological influences as fundamental to understanding behavior.
4. Identify that a common criticism is that evolutionary psychology often uses post hoc explanations—meaning it explains behaviors after the fact without prior predictions—making these explanations difficult to test empirically.
5. Conclude that the criticism about reliance on post hoc explanations is valid because it challenges the scientific rigor and testability of evolutionary psychology hypotheses.