The Seven Sins of Evolutionary Psychology - Konrad Lorenz Institute

Shulamith KreitlerAn Evolutionary Perspectiveon Cognitive OrientationIntroductionThe purpose of this paperis twofold. The first goal isto describe how the cognitiveguidance of behaviorhas developed in an evolutionarysense. The conceptionthat cognitionplays a role in regard tosurvival and behavior liesat the core of the evolutionaryepistemology theoriesthat consider knowledgeas an evolutionaryprocess subserving survival(CAMPBELL 1974;LORENZ 1977; POPPER1984; RIEDL 1980). Thesetheories provide the bioethologicalbasis for thescientific endeavor to describehow cognitionguides behavior. Startingwith a cognitive theory of motivation on the humanlevel, we will examine its evolutionary developmentand implications. In view of the novelty of the goal,that which we can expect to do in a first exploratorypaper of this kind is to confront the issue of the evolutionaryaspects of the cognitive guidance of behaviorand trace some of the major tracks along whichthe cognitive guidance of behavior seems to have developedin the framework of evolution. In order toclarify our question, it is advisable to emphasize thatwhile it is well-known that in the course of evolutionboth cognition and behavior have developed each inits own right and in terms of its own characteristics,it is neither well-known nor obvious that the cognitiveguidance of behavior did. This is precisely ourthesis. Starting from the assumption that in livingorganisms cognition guides behavior (KREITLER/KRE-AbstractThe paper deals with evolutionary aspects of the cognitiveguidance of behavior. It is assumed that cognitionguides behavior because of empirical evidenceand because the impressive development of cognitionin the course of evolution suggests that it plays a rolein regard to survival. The theory of cognitive orientation—atheory of cognitive motivation on the humanlevel—is presented as a basic framework for the evolutionaryanalysis. The major advantages of this theoryare that it provides a comprehensive description of theprocesses intervening between input and output andhas ample empirical support. The major evolutionaryaspects discussed concern the differentiation betweenmotivation and cognition, the development of meaningand the development of action, emphasizing therole of cognition in regard to each.Key wordsCognition, development, meaning, belief, behavioralprogram.Evolution and Cognition ❘ 81 ❘ 2001, Vol. 7, No. 1ITLER 1976), the questionof the evolutionary developmentof the cognitiveguidance of behavior appearsto be both legitimateand relevant. It is legitimatebecause any phenomenon,structure orprocess that has been observedon the humanlevel has analogues or primaryrudimentary manifestationson earlier evolutionarylevels (MITHEN1996; THORPE 1974). It isrelevant because consideringthe evolutionaryunderstructure and aspectsof a basic humanprocess provides increasedinsights and opportunitiesfor deeper understandingof its structuraland functional properties.Thus, our exploration will be guided by questions,such as “What happened to the cognitive guidanceof behavior in the course of evolution?”, “Whathas evolution done to it?”, “How was it affected byevolution?”, “Which of its components were shapedand transformed by evolution?”Our second goal has to do with SKINNER. Years agoduring a Sabbatical stay at Harvard University I hadthe chance to discuss psychological issues with SKIN-NER, who at the time was already retired from HarvardUniversity (1975–1976). As it happened I waslucky enough to have stayed in the same neighborhoodin Cambridge, MA where he lived and thus hadample opportunity of discussing science with him.After he became familiar with the theory of the cognitiveguidance of behavior that Hans KREITLER andI had developed—the theory of cognitive orienta-