Are beliefs the proper targets of adaptationist analyses?

McKay & Dennett's (M&D's) description of beliefs, and misbeliefs in particular, is a commendable contribution to the literature; but we argue that referring to beliefs as adaptive or maladaptive can cause conceptual confusion. “Adaptive” is inconsistently defined in the article, wh...

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Veröffentlicht in:The Behavioral and brain sciences 2009-12, Vol.32 (6), p.528-528
Hauptverfasser: Liddle, James R., Shackelford, Todd K.
Format: Artikel
Sprache:eng
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Zusammenfassung:McKay & Dennett's (M&D's) description of beliefs, and misbeliefs in particular, is a commendable contribution to the literature; but we argue that referring to beliefs as adaptive or maladaptive can cause conceptual confusion. “Adaptive” is inconsistently defined in the article, which adds to confusion and renders it difficult to evaluate the claims, particularly the possibility of “adaptive misbelief.”
ISSN:0140-525X
1469-1825
DOI:10.1017/S0140525X09991294