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Altruism and aggression: Biological and social origins
table
of SI units.
The text
order to focus on general or make reference
to,
and ecology,
the philosophy processing and friendly
to related
style
as a primer for its
on illustrations
Martin
per se.
and Bateson
array of material. disciplines,
as well as specific
of science
reflects
issues.
an impressive
avoid problems belonging genetics,
is light
didactic
issues
pulled
together,
They deliberately
in behavioural
The space dedicated
aridity.
have
such as physiology,
the impact which technology avoids
and on examples in
to electronic
has on science.
Overall,
biology
or
data
The brisk
the book serves
well
intended audience. Patrick Colgan Biology and Psychology Queen’s University at Kingston Ontario, K7L 3N6 CANADA
Carolyn ZahnAltruism andAq;gression : Biologicpl___and __$c_cL@> Oripins. E. Mark Cummings and Ronald Iannotti (Eds), Cambridge University Waxier, Press, Cambridge, London and New York, 1986; pp.337. ISBN 0 521 26834 6. Price E30..00 - $39.50.
This book is the outcome of a conference held in 1982 at The National The editors claim to have Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, Maryland. brought together an interdisciplinary group of scientists to “discuss the interconnections of altruism and aggression within and across species”. The expressed aims of the gathering were to discuss 1) genetic transmission of behaviours together with their biological affiliative and aggressive correlates, 2) environmental factors that influence prosocial and antisocial behaviours and 3) internal processes that regulate the expression of selfish or kind behavior.
interesting, well-written chapters along The book contains several the editors and a with effective Introduction and Conclusion Sections by Jaak Panksepp supplies a wide-ranging review on “The useful subject index. Psychobiology of Prosocial Behaviors” and Robert Cairns “An Evolutionary and on Aggressive Patterns”. Youniss then looks at Developmental Perspective “The Development of Reciprocity Through Friendship” and Strayer and Noel at and Anti-social Functions of Preschool Aggression” - both “The Prosocial Ervin Staub considers studies being exclusively devoted to school children. the self and the environment) and development of the determinants (motives, “Early Cummings et al give an account of altruism and aggression. and Aggression : Developmental Patterns and Organization of Altruism Seymour and Norma Feshbach review Individual Differences” in children. aggression and altruism in relation to the child’s personality structure and Again from the human point of view, Grusec and Dix consider “The dynamics. Behavior” examining in particular, the likely Socialization of Prosocial reasons for discrepancies between psychological theory’s claims concerning training children to adapt to the values and the most effective ways of demands of society and what parents actually &. They speculate on the
alternate views that parents are behaving optimally or that children are not being socialised in the best possible way. John Reid reviews preliminary data on social-interactional patterns in families of abused and non-abused children and Robert Marcus describes “Naturalistic Observation of Coand Their Associations with Empathy and operation, Helping and Sharing Affect” also in children. Finally, Kenneth Dodge provides an account considering social information-processing variables in the development of aggression and altruism in children.
Consequently, the book is more heavily weighted towards considerations of child behaviour/development and more distinctly concerned with social implied in the stated psychology than is aims. There is, however, sufficient to interest the student of behaviour and the consistent appeal in the volume for a multidisciplinary approach to the study of these complex concepts is eminently reasonable if not quite followed. the Al though, editors (and some contributors) introduce Hamilton’s concepts of kin altruism, their maintaining that altruism and selection and reciprocal aggression represent different (if linked) systems is not wholly convincing. It could be that these two labels in infrahumans are simply human valuejudgements applied to successful adaptive strategies with different features. The facts that humans will foster children from different ethnic of violence within families do not groups and that many crimes occur seriously cast doubts on Hamilton’s kin-selection claims. Children with whom one spends considerable time are J_iJozlJ, to be kin and adopters have other human aims beyond fostering their own genes. The high incidence of violence within families could be a consequence of the long periods of time over which members of a family interact and the fact that such individuals will, sooner or later, experience conflicting needs.
P.F. Brain, Biomedical and Physiological Research Group, University College of Swansea (Wales)
E. FIVAZ-DEPEURSINGE.
ALLIANCES DIALOGUE
ET MESALLIANCES ENTRE ADULTE
et Nlestle, 1987, 215 p,
DANS LE
ET BEBE. Delachaux
1%~:
Z-603-00592-8.
How does the infant become a “participant” in communication? How do the adult and the infant organise a “communicational alliance”? How do early mlsalllances become establlshed In the body and gaze dialogue? The book of E. Fivaz brings a remarkable contribution to these modern issues in psychology and developmental psychopathology. First because of the clarity of its synthetic presentation of the main theories and data on processes of non-verbal interaction and interpersonal communication. Then because of its detailed account of experimental studies that back up the hypotheses proposed by the author. These hypotheses are based on the
of SI units.
The text
order to focus on general or make reference
to,
and ecology,
the philosophy processing and friendly
to related
style
as a primer for its
on illustrations
Martin
per se.
and Bateson
array of material. disciplines,
as well as specific
of science
reflects
issues.
an impressive
avoid problems belonging genetics,
is light
didactic
issues
pulled
together,
They deliberately
in behavioural
The space dedicated
aridity.
have
such as physiology,
the impact which technology avoids
and on examples in
to electronic
has on science.
Overall,
biology
or
data
The brisk
the book serves
well
intended audience. Patrick Colgan Biology and Psychology Queen’s University at Kingston Ontario, K7L 3N6 CANADA
Carolyn ZahnAltruism andAq;gression : Biologicpl___and __$c_cL@> Oripins. E. Mark Cummings and Ronald Iannotti (Eds), Cambridge University Waxier, Press, Cambridge, London and New York, 1986; pp.337. ISBN 0 521 26834 6. Price E30..00 - $39.50.
This book is the outcome of a conference held in 1982 at The National The editors claim to have Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, Maryland. brought together an interdisciplinary group of scientists to “discuss the interconnections of altruism and aggression within and across species”. The expressed aims of the gathering were to discuss 1) genetic transmission of behaviours together with their biological affiliative and aggressive correlates, 2) environmental factors that influence prosocial and antisocial behaviours and 3) internal processes that regulate the expression of selfish or kind behavior.
interesting, well-written chapters along The book contains several the editors and a with effective Introduction and Conclusion Sections by Jaak Panksepp supplies a wide-ranging review on “The useful subject index. Psychobiology of Prosocial Behaviors” and Robert Cairns “An Evolutionary and on Aggressive Patterns”. Youniss then looks at Developmental Perspective “The Development of Reciprocity Through Friendship” and Strayer and Noel at and Anti-social Functions of Preschool Aggression” - both “The Prosocial Ervin Staub considers studies being exclusively devoted to school children. the self and the environment) and development of the determinants (motives, “Early Cummings et al give an account of altruism and aggression. and Aggression : Developmental Patterns and Organization of Altruism Seymour and Norma Feshbach review Individual Differences” in children. aggression and altruism in relation to the child’s personality structure and Again from the human point of view, Grusec and Dix consider “The dynamics. Behavior” examining in particular, the likely Socialization of Prosocial reasons for discrepancies between psychological theory’s claims concerning training children to adapt to the values and the most effective ways of demands of society and what parents actually &. They speculate on the
alternate views that parents are behaving optimally or that children are not being socialised in the best possible way. John Reid reviews preliminary data on social-interactional patterns in families of abused and non-abused children and Robert Marcus describes “Naturalistic Observation of Coand Their Associations with Empathy and operation, Helping and Sharing Affect” also in children. Finally, Kenneth Dodge provides an account considering social information-processing variables in the development of aggression and altruism in children.
Consequently, the book is more heavily weighted towards considerations of child behaviour/development and more distinctly concerned with social implied in the stated psychology than is aims. There is, however, sufficient to interest the student of behaviour and the consistent appeal in the volume for a multidisciplinary approach to the study of these complex concepts is eminently reasonable if not quite followed. the Al though, editors (and some contributors) introduce Hamilton’s concepts of kin altruism, their maintaining that altruism and selection and reciprocal aggression represent different (if linked) systems is not wholly convincing. It could be that these two labels in infrahumans are simply human valuejudgements applied to successful adaptive strategies with different features. The facts that humans will foster children from different ethnic of violence within families do not groups and that many crimes occur seriously cast doubts on Hamilton’s kin-selection claims. Children with whom one spends considerable time are J_iJozlJ, to be kin and adopters have other human aims beyond fostering their own genes. The high incidence of violence within families could be a consequence of the long periods of time over which members of a family interact and the fact that such individuals will, sooner or later, experience conflicting needs.
P.F. Brain, Biomedical and Physiological Research Group, University College of Swansea (Wales)
E. FIVAZ-DEPEURSINGE.
ALLIANCES DIALOGUE
ET MESALLIANCES ENTRE ADULTE
et Nlestle, 1987, 215 p,
DANS LE
ET BEBE. Delachaux
1%~:
Z-603-00592-8.
How does the infant become a “participant” in communication? How do the adult and the infant organise a “communicational alliance”? How do early mlsalllances become establlshed In the body and gaze dialogue? The book of E. Fivaz brings a remarkable contribution to these modern issues in psychology and developmental psychopathology. First because of the clarity of its synthetic presentation of the main theories and data on processes of non-verbal interaction and interpersonal communication. Then because of its detailed account of experimental studies that back up the hypotheses proposed by the author. These hypotheses are based on the