Behavioral and Brain Sciences

Table of Contents - 2010 - Volume 33, Issue 01  

Cambridge Journals Online - CUP Full-Text Page
Behavioral and Brain Sciences (2010), 33:39-40 Cambridge University Press
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2010
doi:10.1017/S0140525X09991737

Open Peer Commentary

Evolutionary psychology's notion of differential grandparental investment and the Dodo Bird Phenomenon: Not everyone can be right

Martin Voraceka1, Ulrich S. Trana2 and Maryanne L. Fishera3

a1 Department of Basic Psychological Research, School of Psychology, University of Vienna, A-1010 Vienna, Austria. martin.voracek@univie.ac.at http://homepage.univie.ac.at/martin.voracek/
a2 Department of Clinical, Biological, and Differential Psychology, School of Psychology, University of Vienna, A-1010 Vienna, Austria. ulrich.tran@univie.ac.at
a3 Department of Psychology, St. Mary's University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 3C3, Canada. mlfisher@smu.ca
Article author query
voracek m [PubMed]  [Google Scholar]
tran us [PubMed]  [Google Scholar]
fisher ml [PubMed]  [Google Scholar]

Abstract

Integration of different lines of research concerning grandparental investment appears to be both promising and necessary. However, it must stop short when confronted with incommensurate arguments and hypotheses, either within or between disciplines. Further, some hypotheses have less plausibility and veridicality than others. This point is illustrated with results that conflict previous conclusions from evolutionary psychology about differential grandparental investment.

Grandparental investment: Past, present, and future David A. Coall and Ralph Hertwig School of Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, University of Western Australia, Fremantle, Western Australia 6160, Australia. david.coall@uwa.edu.au http://www.uwa.edu.au/people/david.coall; Department of Psychology, University of Basel, 4055 Basel, Switzerland. ralph.hertwig@unibas.ch http://www.psycho.unibas.ch/hertwig