Randolph M. Nesse

Randolph M. Nesse is an American psychiatrist and evolutionary biologist known for his work on the evolutionary basis of mental health and disease. He co-founded the field of evolutionary psychology, which studies how human behavior and mental processes have been shaped by natural selection. Nesse emphasizes that understanding the origins of psychological traits can help us better comprehend mental illness and develop more effective treatments. His research highlights the adaptive functions of emotions and behaviors, arguing that many psychological phenomena, even those that seem maladaptive, may have evolved for specific reasons in our ancestral environment.