Cited by 259Language and cultural evolutionEvolutionary Psychology and Human BehaviorPhilosophy of Biology and Scientific Explanation

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 653 of the 664 references it cites were found in a registry or an index; 37 of the 205 sources its claims cite were checked for support.

Evolving the future: Toward a science of intentional change

Open access

Abstract

Humans possess great capacity for behavioral and cultural change, but our ability to manage change is still limited. This article has two major objectives: first, to sketch a basic science of intentional change centered on evolution; second, to provide examples of intentional behavioral and cultural change from the applied behavioral sciences, which are largely unknown to the basic scientific community. All species have evolved mechanisms of phenotypic plasticity that enable them to respond adaptively to their environments. Some mechanisms of phenotypic plasticity count as evolutionary processes in their own right. The human capacity for symbolic thought provides an inheritance system with the same kind of combinatorial diversity as genetic recombination and antibody formation. Taking these propositions seriously allows an integration of major traditions within the basic behavioral sciences, such as behaviorism, social constructivism, social psychology, cognitive psychology, and evolutionary psychology, which are often isolated and even conceptualized as opposed to each other. The applied behavioral sciences include well-validated examples of successfully managing behavioral and cultural change at scales ranging from individuals, to small groups, to large populations. However, these examples are largely unknown beyond their disciplinary boundaries, for lack of a unifying theoretical framework. Viewed from an evolutionary perspective, they are examples of managing evolved mechanisms of phenotypic plasticity, including open-ended processes of variation and selection. Once the many branches of the basic and applied behavioral sciences become conceptually unified, we are closer to a science of intentional change than one might think. Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2014.

Overview

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1017/s0140525x13001593

Cites

653 of 653 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Nothing to recompute.

Verification

Claims the paper makes

131 Own interpretation · 75 No basis given · 44 No full text of the sources · 41 Sources not found · 18 Not checked yet · 16 Partly supported · 8 Supported · 3 Supported so far · 1 Mixed support · 1 Not supported · 1 Own result · accuracy not yet measured

Show all 162 claims

  • It may state two separate claims as one. 110
  • Probably not a substantial claim. 101
177 of 177
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Current ability to change behavioral and cultural practices lags far behind the ability to manipulate the physical environment.

    “Despite some notable successes, some of which we highlight in this article, our ability to change our behavioral and cultural practices lags far behind our ability to manipulate the physical environment.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Applied behavioral science examples are largely unknown beyond their disciplinary boundaries because there is no unifying theoretical framework.

    “However, these examples are largely unknown beyond their disciplinary boundaries, for lack of a unifying theoretical framework.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    The human behavioral sciences are currently in disarray on the subject of change.

    “The human behavioral sciences are currently in disarray on the subject of change.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Every human-related discipline has its own configuration of ideas that seldom relate to other disciplines or to modern evolutionary science.

    “Every discipline has its own configuration of ideas that seldom relate to other disciplines or to modern evolutionary science.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    The human brain is an elaborate product of genetic evolution.

    “On the other, as with all species, the human brain is an elaborate product of genetic evolution.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    No examples of scientifically guided social change compare to putting a man on the moon.

    “No examples of scientifically guided social change can compare to putting a man on the moon.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    People of all ages adapt to their immediate environments.

    “Once we appreciate that people of all ages are adapting to their immediate environments, it becomes clear that the wrong environmental intervention will make change appear difficult or impossible, whereas the right one will make change appear effortless.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Human genetically evolved adaptations for cooperation, including cultural transmission of learned behavior, evolved in small face-to-face groups and may not work well in larger groups.

    “An important point to keep in mind is that our genetically evolved adaptations for cooperation, including the cultural transmission of learned behavior, evolved in the context of small face-to-face groups and might not necessarily work well in the context of larger groups.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Men are especially likely to invest in mating effort rather than parental effort.

    “Men are especially likely to invest in mating effort rather than parental effort.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Most successful interventions work for single families or small groups.

    “Most successful interventions work for single families or small groups.”
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Self-check

Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.

Each contradiction between two passages listed here was confirmed by an independent check.

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Citations

Cites

Items 201–400 of 653

Research works printed but not linked: 18

  1. Ehrenreich, 1997, The new creationism: Biology under attack, The Nation, 264, 11
  2. Plotkin, 2003, The imagined world made real: Toward a natural science of culture
  3. Maus M. B. (2007) Independent group contingencies for reducing disruptive behavior in preschoolers with PDD-NOS. Doctoral dissertation, Hofstra University, 2006. No. 3247981. ProQuest. Available at: http://www.proquest.com.
  4. Daly, 1988, Homicide
  5. Hofstadter, 1959, Social Darwinism in American thought
  6. 2004, Psychotherapy: Three approaches evaluated
  7. Bennett M. M. (2007) An interdependent group contingency with mystery motivators to increase spelling performance. Doctoral dissertation, No. 3239791. ProQuest. Available at: http://www.proquest.com.
  8. Maynard Smith, 1995, The major transitions of life
  9. Stokes, 1978, Promoting participation in a community-based educational program, Journal of Personalized Instruction, 3, 29
  10. 10.3386/w15740 · DOI
  11. Aunger, 2002, The electric meme
  12. Chatwin, 1988, The songlines
  13. Gross, 1981, Public posting of photographs: A new classroom reinforcer, Child Behavior Therapy, 3, 81
  14. Wilson, 2012, Clash of paradigms: Why proponents of multilevel selection theory and inclusive fitness theory sometimes (but not always) misunderstand each other, Social Evolution Forum
  15. Kashdan, 2009, Curious: Discovering the missing ingredient to a fulfilling life
  16. Daly, 2001, An assessment of some proposed exceptions to the phenomenon of nepotistic discrimination against stepchildren, Annales Zoologici Fennici, 38, 287
  17. Wilson, 2011a, Evolution of selfless behaviour, New Scientist, 211, i
  18. Turchin, 2005, War and peace and war

Cited by

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Metadata

Authors
Wilson, D. S., Hayes, S. C., Biglan, A., & Embry, D. D.
Affiliations
  • Binghamton University (US)
  • University of Nevada, Reno (US)
  • Oregon Research Institute (US)
Venue
Behavioral and Brain Sciences
Published
2014-05-15
Volume
37
Issue
4
Pages
395-416
ISSN
  • 0140-525X (ISSN-L)
  • 1469-1825
OpenAlex
W2044880034
Cited by
255
References
664
Citations by year
2026: 5 · 2025: 23 · 2024: 18 · 2023: 15 · 2022: 14 · 2021: 27 · 2020: 31 · 2019: 19 · 2018: 12 · 2017: 18 · 2016: 28 · 2015: 27 · 2014: 8
FWCI
19.20
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Behavioral and Brain Sciences (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institute on Drug Abuse (RC2DA028946)
  • Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (R01HD060922, HD60922)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Cultural Studies › Language and cultural evolution
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Evolutionary Psychology and Human Behavior
  • Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › History and Philosophy of Science › Philosophy of Biology and Scientific Explanation
Keywords
intentional change, behavior change, cultural change, phenotypic plasticity, evolution, symbolic thinking, evolutionary psychology, social constructivism, behaviorism, social psychology, cognitive psychology, applied behavioral science, variation and selection
MeSH terms
Behavioral Sciences, Behaviorism, Cultural Evolution, Humans

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