Error Management Theory is too sexy for itself

Cory J. Clark and Nassim Elimari

Chapter 21 in Handbook of Evolutionary Psychology, 2026, pp 372-389 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: Abstract: Error Management Theory (EMT; Haselton & Buss, 2000) contends that many judgmental biases may be explained by evolutionary histories of asymmetrical error costs. Decision-making errors are inevitable, and the fittest organisms might not maximize accuracy but rather minimize the costliest errors (e.g., deadly ones) in favor of less costly ones (e.g., needless anxiety). This elegant theory is almost self-evident and has potential to explain many known quirks of human judgment. Preliminary studies applied EMT to explain male overestimation of women's sexual interest and female underestimation of men's commitment. Since then, evolutionary scholars have spent considerable time debating whether these biases exist, and if so, why. In our view, this relatively minor debate has distracted scholars from tapping the full potential of EMT to explain and predict human and animal biases across vast territories of human and animal judgment. We provide recommendations for future research to maximize the utility of EMT.

Keywords: Error Management Theory; Bias; Judgment And Decision Making; Uncertainty; Evolutionary Psychology; Sex (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
ISBN: 9781035332496
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