The Evolution of Personality

People currently involved in the project

• John McNamara, University of Bristol
• Alasdair Houston, University of Bristol
• James Marshall, University of Bristol
• Pete Trimmer, University of Bristol

Overview

The extent to which our personalities are molded by our genes (nature) or subsequent environment (nurture) is still to be resolved. However, it is now apparent that through evolutionary processes, nature has given us certain capacities for adapting to our environment, with regions of the brain being reasonably specialist in particular functions.

This project, still in its infancy, aims to use Game Theory to help establish how our capacities for certain feelings and behaviours, such as anger, fear, and forgiveness, may have arisen.