Sandra, In some ways this criticism is valid. It is not possible to manipulate the evolutionary pressures to see if different behavior patterns will be produced. Those events happened in the distant past. However, it is possible to artificially select for similar behaviors (for example, territorial aggression or maternal aggression) and demonstrate that these behavior can be affected by selection pressure. Of course such experiments are not ethical with human participants. As a result we are saddled with the same kind of problem that exists in Cancer research where animal models serve to demonstrate what is possible and/or likely to be true in humans. These experiments, along with correlational and observational research, provide converging evidence supporting (and developing) the theories of Sociobiology and Evolutionary Psychology.
Dennis Dennis M. Goff Professor of Psychology Randolph-Macon Woman's College [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sandra Nagel wrote: As I recall, the criticism raised about Sociobiology during its infancy and preceeding Evolutionary Psychology (when I was in graduate school - back in the dark ages) was not that the theory did not generate testable hypotheses, but that it did not generate hypotheses that were testable using the experimental (manipulative) approach to the scientific method. . . .that all hypotheses generated were restricted to testing via observational and correlational methods. It seems that this is still the case. Question for those more familiar with Buss and Alcock: does this 'limitation' still hold or have new paradigms worked around this? Sandra ********************************************************** Sandra Nagel Randall, Ph.D. Psychology General Education Assessment Coordinator Saginaw Valley State University 166 Brown Hall 7400 Bay Road University Center, MI 48710 Office: (989) 964-4635 Fax: (989) 790-7656 E-Mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *************************************************** "It is the responsibility of the sender to make sure the receiver understands the message." Joseph Batten "Forgive me if I fail. I'll try to do better the next time!" Sandra Nagel Randall --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
