According to social exchange theory, people often act like naive economists by keeping track of the costs and benefits of maintaining a relationship. Typically, a relationship is maintained only when the benefits outweigh the costs.

Cost-Benefit Analysis in Relationships

An important cognitive ability for people to adapt and survive is the ability to be able to cooperate with one another in a mutually beneficial way.

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Some psychologists posit that we can trace many of the functions and qualities of the mind to the pressures of natural selection. Characteristics that help an organism survive are passed on.

Evolutionary Perspective on Cognition

Goldstein, E. B. (2014). Cognitive psychology: Connecting mind, research and everyday experience. Nelson Education.


Cognitive psychology: Connecting mind, research and everyday experience

Spielman, R. M., Jenkins, W. J., & Lovett, M. D. (2020, April 22). Psychology (2nd ed.). OpenStax. https://openstax.org/books/psychology-2e/pages/1-introduction

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