Studying Human Behavior: How Scientists Investigate Aggression and Sexuality
Helen E. Longino
Abstract
This book enters into the complexities of human behavioral research, a domain still dominated by the age-old debate of “nature versus nurture.” Rather than supporting one side or another or attempting to replace that dichotomy with a different framework for understanding behavior, the book focuses on how scientists study it, specifically sexual behavior and aggression, and asks what can be known about human behavior through empirical investigation. It dissects five approaches to the study of behavior—quantitative behavioral genetics, molecular behavior genetics, developmental psychology, neuro ... More
This book enters into the complexities of human behavioral research, a domain still dominated by the age-old debate of “nature versus nurture.” Rather than supporting one side or another or attempting to replace that dichotomy with a different framework for understanding behavior, the book focuses on how scientists study it, specifically sexual behavior and aggression, and asks what can be known about human behavior through empirical investigation. It dissects five approaches to the study of behavior—quantitative behavioral genetics, molecular behavior genetics, developmental psychology, neurophysiology and anatomy, and social/environmental methods—highlighting the underlying assumptions of these disciplines, as well as the different questions and mechanisms each addresses. The book also analyzes efforts to integrate different approaches. It concludes that there is no single “correct” approach but that each contributes to our overall understanding of human behavior. In addition, the book reflects on the reception and transmission of this behavioral research in scientific, social, clinical, and political spheres.
Keywords:
human behavioral research,
nature versus nurture,
study of behavior,
sexual behavior,
aggression,
empirical investigation,
quantitative behavioral genetics,
molecular behavior genetics,
developmental psychology,
neurophysiology
Bibliographic Information
| Print publication date: 2013 |
Print ISBN-13: 9780226492872 |
| Published to Chicago Scholarship Online: January 2014 |
DOI:10.7208/chicago/9780226921822.001.0001 |
