Competition, trust, and intelligence: synthesising evolutionary thinking with the social sciences – talk by Dr Jonathan Goodman on 29th January

Dr Jonathan Goodman will give a hybrid talk, in person at the Herchel Smith Building Large Seminar Room and online via Zoom on the 29th of January at the usual time of 12.30pm UK

Title: Competition, trust, and intelligence: synthesising evolutionary thinking with the social sciences

Abstract: Issues of trust and cognition are well explored in psychology and psychiatry, and in the case of cognition, genetics is known to play an important role. In both areas, however, the role of evolutionary theory is often missing: trust and the genetics of cognition are often treated as divorced from foundational principles in human social evolution. Drawing from my recent book, Invisible Rivals: how we evolved to compete in a cooperative world, I’ll discuss how a synthesis of these areas is critical for moving our understanding of trust and cognition forward. I will discuss my ongoing work on trust and behavioural genetics, and suggest that interdisciplinary considerations of problems in both areas are essential.

Biography: Jonathan is a social scientist based at the Wellcome Sanger Institute and a research associate at the Department of Psychiatry and is interested in how models from human evolutionary studies – and interdisciplinary engagement from the human sciences more broadly – is essential for broaching major issues in the psychological and social sciences, such as the erosion of trust. He has a PhD from the Leverhulme Centre for Human Evolutionary Studies, Cambridge.

Zoom details: https://zoom.us/j/93711378882?pwd=ONUDhocbW7ucS5dRak0RGdZBC27ynz.1 Meeting ID: 937 1137 8882 Passcode: 845614

Posted on 28/01/2026