Homology (psychology)

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Homology in psychology, as in biology, refers to a relationship between characteristics that reflects the characteristics' origins in either evolution or development. Homologous behaviors can theoretically be of at least two different varieties. [1] As with homologous anatomical characteristics, behaviors present in different species can be considered homologous if they are likely present in those species because the behaviors were present in a common ancestor of the two species. Alternatively, in much the same way as reproductive structures (e.g., the penis and the clitoris) are considered homologous because they share a common origin in embryonic tissues, [2] behaviors—or the neural substrates associated with those behaviors [3] —can also be considered homologous if they share common origins in development.

Behavioral homologies have been considered since at least 1958, when Konrad Lorenz studied the evolution of behavior. [4] More recently, the question of behavioral homologies has been addressed by philosophers of science such as Marc Ereshefsky, [5] [6] psychologists such as Drew Rendall, [7] and neuroscientists such as Georg Striedter and Glenn Northcutt. [8] It is debatable whether the concept of homology is useful in developmental psychology. [9] [10] [11]

For example, D. W. Rajecki and Randall C. Flanery, using data on humans and on nonhuman primates, argue that patterns of behaviour in dominance hierarchies are homologous across the primates. [12]

Related Research Articles

Homology may refer to:

Ontogeny Origination and development of an organism, usually from the time of egg fertisliation through to adult form

Ontogeny is the origination and development of an organism, usually from the time of fertilization of the egg to adult. The term can also be used to refer to the study of the entirety of an organism's lifespan.

Homology (biology) Shared ancestry between a pair of structures or genes in different taxa

In biology, homology is similarity due to shared ancestry between a pair of structures or genes in different taxa. A common example of homologous structures is the forelimbs of vertebrates, where the wings of bats and birds, the arms of primates, the front flippers of whales and the forelegs of four-legged vertebrates like dogs and crocodiles are all derived from the same ancestral tetrapod structure. Evolutionary biology explains homologous structures adapted to different purposes as the result of descent with modification from a common ancestor. The term was first applied to biology in a non-evolutionary context by the anatomist Richard Owen in 1843. Homology was later explained by Charles Darwin's theory of evolution in 1859, but had been observed before this, from Aristotle onwards, and it was explicitly analysed by Pierre Belon in 1555.

Evolutionary anthropology The interdisciplinary study of the evolution of human physiology and human behaviour and the relation between hominids and non-hominid primates

Evolutionary anthropology is the interdisciplinary study of the evolution of human physiology and human behaviour and the relation between hominids and non-hominid primates. Evolutionary anthropology is based in natural science and social science. Various fields and disciplines of evolutionary anthropology are:

Placentophagy act of mammals eating the placenta of their young after childbirth

Placentophagy, also known as placentophagia, is the act of consuming part or all of the afterbirth following parturition in mammals. Parturition involves the delivery of the neonate, as well as the placenta and fetal membranes. The placenta is a critical organ that develops in the maternal uterus during pregnancy to support the fetus. It connects to the baby via the umbilical cord in order to allow nutrient transport, waste excretion and gas exchange between mother and baby. The morphological features of the placenta differ among species, but the function is universal. The behaviour is characteristic to the birth giver, i.e. the mother, of the majority of placental mammals. Significant documentation has been provided on placentophagy in a range of animals. Anomalies generally include humans and aquatic species, as well as camels. However, the concept is becoming more popular among women in the Western World despite its controversial overtone.

Forelimb anterior limb on a terrestrial vertebrates body

A forelimb is an anterior limb on a terrestrial vertebrate's body. With reference to quadrupeds, the term foreleg is often used instead.

Evolutionary neuroscience Study of the evolution of nervous systems

Evolutionary neuroscience is the scientific study of the evolution of nervous systems. Evolutionary neuroscientists investigate the evolution and natural history of nervous system structure, functions and emergent properties. The field draws on concepts and findings from both neuroscience and evolutionary biology. Historically, most empirical work has been in the area of comparative neuroanatomy, and modern studies often make use of phylogenetic comparative methods. Selective breeding and experimental evolution approaches are also being used more frequently.

Evolutionary developmental psychology (EDP) is a research paradigm that applies the basic principles of evolution by natural selection, to understand the development of human behavior and cognition. It involves the study of both the genetic and environmental mechanisms that underlie the development of social and cognitive competencies, as well as the epigenetic processes that adapt these competencies to local conditions.

Structuralism (biology) school of biological thought that objects to an exclusively Darwinian or adaptationist explanation of natural selection, arguing that other mechanisms also guide evolution, and sometimes implying that these supersede selection altogether

Biological or process structuralism, also known as formalism, is a school of biological thought that objects to an exclusively Darwinian or adaptationist explanation of natural selection such as is described in the 20th century's modern synthesis. It proposes instead that evolution is guided differently, basically by more or less physical forces which shape the development of an animal's body, and sometimes implies that these forces supersede selection altogether.

Plant morphology Part of botany

Phytomorphology is the study of the physical form and external structure of plants. This is usually considered distinct from plant anatomy, which is the study of the internal structure of plants, especially at the microscopic level. Plant morphology is useful in the visual identification of plants.

Georg F. Striedter is an American scientist and Professor in the Department of Neurobiology and Behavior at the University of California, Irvine. He is the author of more than 30 papers in evolutionary neuroscience and the author of the book Principles of Brain Evolution. He is also the editor-in-chief of Brain, Behavior and Evolution. Striedter obtained his PhD in neuroscience from the University of California, San Diego, under the supervision of Glenn Northcutt in 1990. He then pursued postdoctoral research at Caltech with Mark Konishi.

Developmental psychobiology is an interdisciplinary field, encompassing developmental psychology, biological psychology, neuroscience and many other areas of biology. The field covers all phases of ontogeny, with particular emphasis on prenatal, perinatal and early childhood development. Conducting research into basic aspects of development, for example, the development of infant attachment, sleep, eating, thermoregulation, learning, attention and acquisition of language occupies most developmental psychobiologists. At the same time, they are actively engaged in research on applied problems such as sudden infant death syndrome, the development and care of the preterm infant, autism, and the effects of various prenatal insults on the development of brain and behavior.

Agustín Fuentes is an American primatologist and biological anthropologist at Princeton University and formerly the chair of the Department of Anthropology at the University of Notre Dame. His work focuses largely on human and non-human primate interaction, pathogen transfer, communication, cooperation, and human social evolution.

Dario Maestripieri is an Italian behavioral biologist who is known for his research and writings about biological aspects of behavior in nonhuman primates and humans. He is currently a Professor of Comparative Human Development, Evolutionary Biology, and Neurobiology at The University of Chicago.

Gilbert Gottlieb was an American psychologist.

In biology, paternal care is parental investment provided by a male to his own offspring. It is a complex social behaviour in vertebrates associated with animal mating systems, life history traits, and ecology. Paternal care may be provided in concert with the mother or, more rarely, by the male alone.

Jay S. Rosenblatt Developmental psychobiologist

Jay Seth Rosenblatt was emeritus professor of psychology at Rutgers University-Newark. At the time of his retirement in 2005, he was the Daniel S. Lehrman Professor of Psychobiology. He was a, painter, and psychotherapist, and most notably a scientist. His scientific research largely established the study of neonate learning and especially mother-offspring behavior throughout the maternal cycle. For the latter work, he was known in developmental psychobiology as the "father of mothering". He received several honors and awards during his career including election to American Association for the Advancement of Science.

International Society for Developmental Psychobiology organization

International Society for Developmental Psychobiology (ISDP) promotes research on the behavioral development on all species including humans. It is an international-nonprofit organization. Its official scientific journal is Developmental Psychobiology published by John Wiley & Sons. It conducts annual meetings during which research on developmental psychobiology is presented and abstracts are published in Developmental Psychobiology.

Extended evolutionary synthesis set of theoretical concepts argued to be more comprehensive than the earlier modern synthesis of evolutionary biology that took place between 1918 and 1942

The extended evolutionary synthesis consists of a set of theoretical concepts argued to be more comprehensive than the earlier modern synthesis of evolutionary biology that took place between 1918 and 1942. The extended evolutionary synthesis was called for in the 1950s by C. H. Waddington, argued for on the basis of punctuated equilibrium by Stephen Jay Gould and Niles Eldredge in the 1980s, and was reconceptualized in 2007 by Massimo Pigliucci and Gerd B. Müller.

David Scott Moore is an American developmental psychologist and Professor of Psychology at Pitzer College, where he is the Director of the Claremont Infant Study Center. He is also Professor of Psychology at Claremont Graduate University. His research focuses on cognitive development and mental rotation in infants, as well as behavioral epigenetics. His 2002 book, The Dependent Gene, criticized some of the fundamental assumptions underlying the nature-nurture debate. His 2015 book, The Developing Genome: An Introduction to Behavioral Epigenetics, received positive reviews, and was awarded the American Psychological Association's Eleanor Maccoby and William James Book Awards in 2016. A short précis of the book was subsequently published in WIREs Systems Biology and Medicine. Moore's work has been profiled in The Wall Street Journal,The New York Times, Scientific American, and Parents.

References

  1. ↑ Moore, David S. (2013). "Importing the homology concept from biology into developmental psychology". Developmental Psychobiology. 55 (1): 13–21. doi:10.1002/dev.21015. PMID   22711075.
  2. ↑ Wagner, G. P. (1989). "The biological homology concept". Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics. 20: 51–69. doi:10.1146/annurev.es.20.110189.000411.
  3. ↑ Anderson, Michael L.; Penner-Wilger, M. (2013). "Neural reuse in the evolution and development of the brain: Evidence for developmental homology?". Developmental Psychobiology. 55 (1): 42–51. CiteSeerX   10.1.1.227.6048 . doi:10.1002/dev.21055. PMID   22711453.
  4. ↑ Lorenz, Konrad (1958). "The Evolution of Behavior". Scientific American. 199 (6): 67–78. Bibcode:1958SciAm.199f..67L. doi:10.1038/scientificamerican1258-67. PMID   13615332.
  5. ↑ Ereshefsky, Marc (2007). "Psychological categories as homologies: Lessons from ethology" (PDF). Biology & Philosophy. 22 (5): 659–674. doi:10.1007/s10539-007-9091-9. S2CID   85084191.
  6. ↑ Ereshefsky, Marc (March 2012). "Homology thinking". Biology & Philosophy. 27 (3): 381–400. doi:10.1007/s10539-012-9313-7. S2CID   13400374.
  7. ↑ Rendall, Drew; Di Fiore (2007). "Homoplasy, homology, and the perceived special status of behavior in evolution". Journal of Human Evolution. 52 (5): 504–521. doi:10.1016/j.jhevol.2006.11.014. PMID   17383711.
  8. ↑ Striedter, Georg; Northcutt (1991). "Biological hierarchies and the concept of homology". Brain, Behavior and Evolution. 38 (4–5): 177–189. doi:10.1159/000114387. PMID   1663811.
  9. ↑ Blumberg, Mark S. (2013). "Homology, correspondence, and continuity across development: The case of sleep". Developmental Psychobiology. 55 (1): 92–100. doi:10.1002/dev.21024. PMC   3459138 . PMID   22711221.
  10. ↑ "Workshop: Homology in Developmental Psychology" . Retrieved 11 July 2013.
  11. ↑ Moore, David S. (January 2013). "Importing the homology concept from biology into developmental psychology". Developmental Psychobiology. 55 (1): 13–21. doi:10.1002/dev.21015. PMID   22711075.
  12. ↑ Rajecki, D. W.; Flanery, Randall C. (2013). Lamb, M. E.; Brown, A. L. (eds.). Social Conflict and Dominance in Children: a Case for a Primate Homology. Advances in Developmental Psychology. Taylor and Francis. p. 125. ISBN   978-1-135-83123-3. Finally, much recent information on children's and nonhuman primates' behavior in groups, a conjunction of hard human data and hard nonhuman primate data, lends credence to our comparison. Our conclusion is that, based on their agreement in several unusual characteristics, dominance patterns are homologous in primates. This agreement of unusual characteristics is found at several levels, including fine motor movement, gross motor movement, and behavior at the group level.
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