▁seem ▁at ▁odd s ▁with ▁other ▁discipl ines ▁in ▁psych ology ▁and ▁anth rop ology , ▁especially ▁research ▁in ▁cultural ▁evolution ▁( e . g . ▁Bo yd ▁and ▁Rich erson , ▁ 1 9 8 5 , ▁ 2 0 0 5 ). ▁Cultural ▁evolution , ▁the ▁domain ▁of ▁research ▁focused ▁on ▁how ▁culture ▁changes ▁through ▁time ▁due ▁to ▁different ▁individual ▁transmission ▁mechan isms ▁and ▁population - level ▁effects , ▁often ▁uses ▁models ▁derived ▁from ▁population ▁gen et ics , ▁in ▁which ▁agents ▁are ▁pass ive ▁recip ients ▁of ▁cultural ▁tra its ▁( e . g . ▁Bent ley ▁et ▁al ., ▁ 2 0 0 4 ). ▁While ▁evolution ary ▁psych ology ▁has ▁focused ▁on ▁how ▁behavior ▁may ▁result ▁from ▁species - typ ical ▁psych ological ▁programs ▁which ▁led ▁to ▁greater ▁fit ness ▁in ▁ancest ral ▁environments , ▁this ▁work ▁has ▁been ▁critic ized ▁for ▁neglect ing ▁how ▁behavior ▁may ▁be ▁sh aped ▁by ▁cult ur ally ▁transm itted ▁information . ▁In ▁contrast ▁to ▁gen etic ▁programs , ▁cultural ▁evolution ▁investig ates ▁how ▁culture ▁itself ▁may ▁evol ve ▁( M es oud i , ▁ 2 0 0 9 ). ▁Gene - c ulture ▁co e volution ▁studies ▁how ▁culture ▁and ▁gen etic ▁evolution ▁influence ▁each ▁other , ▁ultimately ▁sh aping ▁behavior , ▁as ▁well . ▁Cultural ▁evolution ▁and ▁evolution ary ▁psych ology ▁may ▁not ▁be ▁as ▁dispar ate ▁as ▁one ▁may ▁think , ▁though . ▁R ather ▁than ▁a ▁pass ive ▁re cept acle ▁of ▁cultural ▁material , ▁Bo yd