cWhen Darwin wrote The offspring of man (1871), proposed that there was a continuity of mental processes between humans and other species, awakening greater interest in comparative psychology. Darwin himself can be considered one of the first comparative psychologists, by virtue of his book on emotions, which was originally written as a chapter for the book we mentioned above, but a year later he published it separately with the title of Expression of emotions in man and animals.
This book, being the first scientific effort to study expressions of emotion, is Darwin’s most important direct contribution in the history of psychology. Where he talks about the circumstances that produce the various types of emotional responses, descriptions in which the facial muscles express them and a theory about the possible evolution of the expressions.
Darwin began his book by defending an evolutionary approach to the study of expressions of emotion. Studying animal expressions of emotion gave him clues for his theory on the origins of various expressions of emotion, which comprised three basic principles:
The first principle of lasting habits, which was the most important. By incorporating the idea lamarckiana of the inheritance of acquired characteristics, he maintained that some expressions of emotion initially had a function or were useful. That is, they originated from bodily actions that fulfilled some adaptive function, helping the organism to survive in the struggle for existence. These actions were later associated with situations similar to those in which they originally arose and these were then inherited.
The second principle was antithesiswhich said that contrary emotions are expressed in bodily reactions that are similarly opposite.
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The third principle was direct action of the nervous systemthese expressions are side effects of the psychological excitement that accompanies strong emotions.
A recurring theme in Darwin’s book is the universality of emotional expression. The book of emotions made it clear that human beings shared traits with animals, and that there was a continuity in mental and emotional processes. With these many naturists began to explain the dimensions of this continuum, giving rise to the comparative psychology.
George Romanes
The first was George Romanes who published animal intelligence, a detailed catalog of animal behavior, from insects to primates. The book earned him the title of founder of comparative psychology. Romanes focuses on the excessive use of uncritical narratives that provided him with the so-called anecdotal methodin which the capabilities of animals are exaggerated, also tends towards anthropomorphism.
Lloyd Morgan
Another was Morgan, who is best known for his work on comparative psychology, reflected in books with titles such as Animal life and intelligence. He is known today for stating that explanations of animal behavior should be in the simplest possible terms. “Parsimonious explanations” is what Morgan’s canon is called, she points out that “In no case can we interpret an action as a result of the exercise of a superior psychic faculty, if it can be interpreted as a result of the exercise of a faculty that occupies an inferior place.” on the scale of psychology.”
His contribution of Law of parsimony It is often used to highlight an important change in comparative psychologists’ conception of animal behavior and the Darwinian notion of species continuity.
Before Morgan, they were completely anthropomorphic and looked for evidence of higher mental processes in all species. After Morgan, researchers looked for simpler processes to explain animal behavior, which gradually gave rise to behaviorist maxim that behaviors, including human behaviors, are best understood in terms of simple conditioning processes.
Another of the outstanding themes is the emphasis on individual variation, which later led to the systematic study of individual differences, which finally led to their measurement. Current intelligence and personality tests are just two products of this tradition.
Francis Galton
It is worth mentioning that the first to begin studies of differences was Darwin’s cousin, Francis Galton. His assumption was based on his cousin’s publication, and although humans were not discussed there, Galton immediately saw the ramifications and it occurred to him that if human intelligence was a key trait that allowed physically weak humans to survive in the struggle for existence, then the most intelligent human beings naturally rose above society. Galton is considered the father of differential psychology, a discipline that generically deals with the study of individual differences for the description, prediction and explanation of interindividual, intergroup and intraindividual variability in relevant psychological areas, with respect to their origin, manifestation and operation.
He focused his interest on the study of individual differences in human capabilities, always from an adaptive and biological perspective.
Finally, it can be said that Galton in turn influenced James Cattell, who promoted differential psychology with the application of mental tests (invented in France by Alfred Binet) to his study.
There is no doubt that Darwin’s theory of evolution revolutionized thinking in the 19th century and that it not only impacted biology, but also many sciences, one of them being our beloved psychology. Through this brief writing, he wanted to review a part of the history of psychology and demonstrate a little of the influence that Darwinian thought exerted, both directly and indirectly on psychology. And even today, the theory continues to give us ideas and bring us ever closer to understanding the psychological processes of human beings.
Bibliographic references
History of modern psychology, C. James Goodwin, LimusaWiley Publishing, 2009, Chapter 5 pg121-151.
Contemporary psychological systems and theories, Editorial Paidos, 1985, Melvin H. Marx, William A. Hillix, pg. 120-123.
History of psychology, William S. Sahakian, Editorial Trillas, 1986, pg.214-227
Readings in the history of psychology, A. Fernández., E.Lafuente, José C. Soredo, Editorial UNED, 2001 pg157-160.
The long past of experimental psychology, José M. Santoyo, Luis G. Vega, Editorial PS, 1999, pg 157-159.
History of Psychology, systems, movements and schools, Antonio Sánchez B. Ruiz, Ediciones pyramid, 1996