On 14 Mar 2008 at 19:32, Joan Warmbold wrote: >it goes totally against the grain of the theory of Judith > Harris's that parents care-giving doesn't make much of a difference. I > found her hypothesis patently ludicrous but thought I had best check > out her book, "The Nurture Assumption," before I criticize it. When I > read it, I was astonished at the amazingly poor scholarship throughout. > First, she does not provide one (not one!) footnote, therefore making > it impossible for readers to determine the source of her various > conclusions and beliefs. She also provides an amazing number of casual > observations as 'scientific' evidence.
I'm astonished myself at these assertions from Joan, and I can only conclude that she must have read some other "Nurture Assumption" than the one I have. In my copy, Harris lists 391 footnotes referencing her arguments, and provides more than 700 explicit references to the scientific literature (there were so many I grew tired counting and had to estimate). The work is exceptionally well-supported, with the "casual observations" intended only for illustration and explanation and to make the book interesting to read. Her"patently ludicrous hypothesis" has a firm basis in the findings of the important field of behaviour genetics, Obama's mom notwithstanding. An earlier and briefer version (Harris, 1995) was found to be sufficiently persuasive as to be published in the holy of holies, _Psychological Review_ despite her lack of a Ph.D. or any academic affiliation, and how often does _that_ happen? It was then awarded the APA's George A. Miller Award for an Outstanding Recent Article in General Psychology in 1998, which is not bad for a theory which Joan finds entirely lacking in scientific merit. Harris's views are unfortunately often misunderstood and misrepresented, and no wonder, because they provide a significant challenge to the conventional view of child development. Are you sure you really read the book, Joan? Harris, J. (1995). Where is the child's environment? A group socialization theory of child development. Psychological Review, 102, 458- 489. Stephen ----------------------------------------------------------------- Stephen L. Black, Ph.D. Professor of Psychology, Emeritus Bishop's University e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 2600 College St. Sherbrooke QC J1M 1Z7 Canada Subscribe to discussion list (TIPS) for the teaching of psychology at http://flightline.highline.edu/sfrantz/tips/ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- --- To make changes to your subscription contact: Bill Southerly ([EMAIL PROTECTED])
