Around a month ago I was fortunate enough to go to New Hampshire for the North Eastern Evolutionary Psychology Society's conference held at Plymouth State University. Many things caught my eye on the three day excursion, such as the beautiful scenery of both Vermont and New Hampshire have to offer as well as the wonderful people of NEEPS.
The one thing that stuck in my mind the most was that of current day Philosopher Dr. David Livingstone Smith from the University of New England and his thoughts on how both Psychology and Philosophy need to be more symbiotic. He was very verbal when it came to everyone presenting, which some people were taken aback by. For me, it was a breath of fresh air. Personally, having someone of the status of David Livingstone Smith critique one's work would be an honor.
After one of the days of lectures, my mentor was lucky enough to get to talk with Dr. Smith, and I was lucky enough to get to stand next to both of them listen in on their conversation. My mouth stayed shut for about a full hour whole they discussed, and it let me take in everything they were saying. At the end of the conversation my mentor introduced me to Dr. Smith and I was able to (very quickly mind you) express to Dr. Smith that his work was exactly what I've been thinking since the middle of my undergraduate career.
He expressed during his talk and to me at that moment that he was quite nervous presenting in front of a group of Evolutionary Psychologists, and was happy to see someone actually grasp what he was talking about, which was that there needs to be more interaction between Psychology and Philosophy. Well, I take that back, maybe not Philosophy as a whole, but just the idea of stepping back and asking questions about the research people are conducting. Which is what I have been fighting since taking an undergraduate research methods class. This brings up the topic that Dr. Smith wrote an entire book on, and that is why we lie. Why do professionals, such as Evolutionary Psychologists, lie to themselves when it comes to the work they do?
One of my current professors expressed to me once, "Every Psychologist I've talked to, has to justify their work to me...I don't care, just do your work!" Is this because people in the Psychology discipline feel as though they are not doing things "right" when it comes to empirical research? Is it because we still do not have any kind of grasp on how the mind works? Yes, there are theories out there, but you cannot explain how our mind works the same way you can explain how a computer works. Even though there is the "mind is like a computer" metaphor (which I was told to not take so literally but a Cognitive Psychologist!). Tooby and Cosmides (1997) would argue with my above statement, but when it comes to fully understanding how the mind works, there is no complete explanation. But, I can go to Google and get a complete technical specification for a Macbook Pro. This, I know, is the "literal" definition that the Cognitive Psychologist was talking to me about, but we live in a literal world. Why must we lie to ourselves, and think we do not?
I must also mention, that I am by no means an Evolutionary Psychologist. Currently, I am doing studies in Human Computer Interaction, and did an undergraduate stint in Cognitive Science, Psychology and Philosophy. So, these views may seem on sided or incomplete, and they most likely are. But, I do love talking about EvoPsych, and wanting and willing to learn more. Write me off if you like, but you might just be lying to yourself...
a hero within
Cosmides, L., and Tooby, J. (1997). Evolutionary psychology: a primer. Center for Evolutionary Psychology, UCSB. Retrieved from: http://www.psych.ucsb.edu/research/cep/primer.html.
The one thing that stuck in my mind the most was that of current day Philosopher Dr. David Livingstone Smith from the University of New England and his thoughts on how both Psychology and Philosophy need to be more symbiotic. He was very verbal when it came to everyone presenting, which some people were taken aback by. For me, it was a breath of fresh air. Personally, having someone of the status of David Livingstone Smith critique one's work would be an honor.
After one of the days of lectures, my mentor was lucky enough to get to talk with Dr. Smith, and I was lucky enough to get to stand next to both of them listen in on their conversation. My mouth stayed shut for about a full hour whole they discussed, and it let me take in everything they were saying. At the end of the conversation my mentor introduced me to Dr. Smith and I was able to (very quickly mind you) express to Dr. Smith that his work was exactly what I've been thinking since the middle of my undergraduate career.
He expressed during his talk and to me at that moment that he was quite nervous presenting in front of a group of Evolutionary Psychologists, and was happy to see someone actually grasp what he was talking about, which was that there needs to be more interaction between Psychology and Philosophy. Well, I take that back, maybe not Philosophy as a whole, but just the idea of stepping back and asking questions about the research people are conducting. Which is what I have been fighting since taking an undergraduate research methods class. This brings up the topic that Dr. Smith wrote an entire book on, and that is why we lie. Why do professionals, such as Evolutionary Psychologists, lie to themselves when it comes to the work they do?
One of my current professors expressed to me once, "Every Psychologist I've talked to, has to justify their work to me...I don't care, just do your work!" Is this because people in the Psychology discipline feel as though they are not doing things "right" when it comes to empirical research? Is it because we still do not have any kind of grasp on how the mind works? Yes, there are theories out there, but you cannot explain how our mind works the same way you can explain how a computer works. Even though there is the "mind is like a computer" metaphor (which I was told to not take so literally but a Cognitive Psychologist!). Tooby and Cosmides (1997) would argue with my above statement, but when it comes to fully understanding how the mind works, there is no complete explanation. But, I can go to Google and get a complete technical specification for a Macbook Pro. This, I know, is the "literal" definition that the Cognitive Psychologist was talking to me about, but we live in a literal world. Why must we lie to ourselves, and think we do not?
I must also mention, that I am by no means an Evolutionary Psychologist. Currently, I am doing studies in Human Computer Interaction, and did an undergraduate stint in Cognitive Science, Psychology and Philosophy. So, these views may seem on sided or incomplete, and they most likely are. But, I do love talking about EvoPsych, and wanting and willing to learn more. Write me off if you like, but you might just be lying to yourself...
a hero within
Cosmides, L., and Tooby, J. (1997). Evolutionary psychology: a primer. Center for Evolutionary Psychology, UCSB. Retrieved from: http://www.psych.ucsb.edu/research/cep/primer.html.
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