Psychology has benefited from evolutionary theory.
Darwin's book "the expression of emotions in man and animals", as well as his other work, gave us the notion that animals behaviour only differed by degree. This allows us to study the behaviour of other animals and make comparison to our own behaviour. Same applies to neuroscience - we can assess the brain structure of other animals and make comparisons to our brain and mental abilities. We use a range of animals in neuroscience allowing examination of neural function, development, damage etc. Skinner/pavlov/thorndike/hebb/LeDoux et al. knew that you could readily assess learning in other species to gain insight into basic human learning.
I know of researchers who can study marm behaviour, make suitable lesions, and gain fantastic insight into our emotional behaviour. For example, kluver-bucy syndrome in monkeys results in emotional changes (e.g no fear of humans, lack of neophagia, hypersexuality etc). This is the result of the removal of the temporal lobe. This led to the limbic system theories of emotion (fish, amphibians, retiles, mammals have one). Unsurprisingly, temporal lobectomy in humans also results in similar emotional dysfuntion. In neuroscience, we are steadily gaining insight into how higher cognitive behaviour has evolved from the relatively basic circuitry present in other related species (e.g. how empathy may have evolved from basic maternal instincts). How do we make decisions, learn new adaptive responses in situations of changing reinforcement? All can be studied using knowledge of phylogeny.
Without ToE, we could well be studying fish and attempting to make extrapolations to the human brain. (ABE: or we could assume that we are in gods image and 'special' and see no reason to make such comparisons)
Does this benefit mankind? Well if you had epilepsy and required surgery, such findings would ensure doctors were careful to be selective in what they remove. Clinical psychologists use behaviourist theories in treatments etc, token systems for children and patients in mental hospitals etc.
This message has been edited by melatonin, 04-05-2006 08:52 PM
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