Sociobiologists, the most well-known of whom is Edward 0. Wilson, contend that there is a biological basis for the social behavior of animals, and they test their hypotheses through observation of animals in situations. Species studied have varied as widely as to encompass both termites and rhesus macaques. Socio-biologists further argue that students of human behavior cannot adequately account for the panoply of human nature through only such traditional variables as culture, ethnicity, and environment but must also include evolutionary processes. However, many scientists, notably Stephen Jay Gould and Richard Lewontin, have criticized this approach to the study of humans on a number of grounds: for example, that it is based on Eurocentric notions and that it is plagued by methodological problems. These detractors label it a pseudo science because socio-biology theories are not as falsifiable and thus, in this respect, are similar to alchemy or astrology.

Consider each of the following answer choices separately and select all that apply.

It can be inferred that Gould and Lewontin might agree with which of the following statements about a sociobiological approach to the study of humans?

A. Sociobiological theories cannot be proven false, and consequently they cannot be conclusively verified; thus, sociobiology is not a real science.
B. When applied to the study of humans, sociobiology is problematic because it is rooted in a Western worldview and it does not comport with proper scientific methodology.
C. Scientists cannot adequately explain human behavior through the consideration of cultural, ethnic, and environmental factors alone; therefore, they must resort to sociobiological explanations.



The author mentions culture, ethnicity, and environment in order to

A. offer justification for a comparative study between termite colonies and rhesus macques
B. assert that sociobiology is problematic because it is Eurocentric and beset by methodological complications
C. illustrate that sociobiology is an inappropriate method for studying humans
D. enumerate some variables that socio-biologists believe are insufficient in the study of humans and thus necessitate the addition of biological considerations
E. provide a comprehensive list of the factors that influence human behavior


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The primary purpose of the passage is to

A. offer praise for an influential scientific approach to the study of animal and human behavior
B. argue for a sociobiological approach to the study of human behavior
C. dispute a sociobiological approach to the study of human behavior
D. justify a sociobiological approach to the study of termite colonies and rhesus macaques
E. seth forth an influential approach to the study of human and animal behavior and discuss some objections to this approach