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Minding the gap: Why there is still no theory in comparative psychology

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 May 2008

Clive D. L. Wynne  and
Johan J. Bolhuis
Clive D. L. Wynne
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32601
Johan J. Bolhuis
Affiliation:
Behavioural Biology and Helmholtz Institute, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlandswynne@ufl.eduhttp://www.psych.ufl.edu/~wynne/j.j.bolhuis@uu.nlhttp://www.bio.uu.nl/behaviour/Bolhuis/index.html
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Abstract

The prevailing view that there is significant cognitive continuity between humans and other animals is a result of misinterpretations of the role of evolution, combined with anthropomorphism. This combination has often resulted in an over-interpretation of data from animal experiments. Comparative psychology should do what the name indicates: study the cognitive capacities of different species empirically, without naive evolutionary presuppositions.

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 31 , Issue 2 , April 2008 , pp. 152 - 153
Copyright
Copyright ©Cambridge University Press 2008

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