PS263 Lecture 4: Lesson 4
Document Summary
We turn to a common question that is often asked about a given behaviour. This controversy has followed the course of history of psychology. 1920"s-1950"s, when behaviorism was most popular, people tended to believe that most everything was learned. Ethologists, on the other hand, focuses on instinctive behaviours, behaviours which appeared despite little or no chance for learning. Traditional dichotomies tend to have a range of problems, and this dichotomy is no exception. Most behaviour is a consequence of both these influences. One example of a dichotomy that is no longer tenable is cartesian dualism. A cartesian dualist would claim that most behaviours exhibited by animals in general have a physiological basis, whereas more. human behaviours such as self-consciousness and language do not have such a basis. However, some primates, such as chimps, can learn language. So language does not seem to divide humans from other animals very well. Than seems to be a uniquely human attribute at first glance.
