Eliminating Genetic Reductionism from Developmental Science

Abstract

Genetic reductionist ideas, whether found in behavior genetics or in its methods (e.g., heritability analysis), human sociobiology, the Five Factor Theory of personality traits, or evolutionary psychology, share several egregious flaws, including problems of logic and of relying on using a counterfactual conception of genetic processes. These ideas constitute bad science and problematic bases for applications to programs and policies. I discuss the use of theories and methods derived from the relational development systems (RDS) metatheory as a scientifically rigorous means to understand the mutually influential relations between genes and the multiple levels of their context and to derive applications of developmental science that may enhance individual development and social justice. I advocate for developmental science organizations to collaborate in creating a consensus statement about the failures of genetic reductionism and its applications, and about the research and applied usefulness of models framed by RDS metatheory.

Additional information

Funding

The writing of this article was supported in part by grants from the John Templeton Foundation.