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167 HUMAN NATURE, SOCIOBIOLOGY and COUNSELLING WILLIAM A. LANG and LLOYD W. WEST Department of Educational Psychology, Universit

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167 HUMAN NATURE, SOCIOBIOLOGY and COUNSELLING WILLIAM A. LANG and LLOYD W. WEST Department of Educational Psychology, Universit 167 HUMAN NATURE, SOCIOBIOLOGY AND COUNSELLING WILLIAM A. LANG and LLOYD W. WEST Department of Educational Psychology, University of Calgary Abstract Assumptions about human nature play an important role in the formation of counsel• ling theories. Sociobiology suggests that much of our basic psychological makeup is geneti• cally determined and has evolved by means of natural selection. The sociobiological picture of human nature challenges the assumptions that human goodness is innate and that human behavior is easily modified by reinforcement. Rather, sociobiology suggests that biologically based human predispositions will often conflict with the legal and moral requirements of modern life and that resolving this conflict will not be easy. Accordingly, sociobiology provides support for the direct teaching of moral values and social skills to compensate for the vestigial predispositions which impede self and social enhancement. Sociobiology, thus, may serve as the cornerstone of a rationale for the role of counsellor as educator. Resume Certaines présuppositions sur la nature humaine jouent un rôle important quand il est question de formuler des théories de consultation. La sociobiologie suggère qu'une partie importante de la dimension psychologique de base est déterminée par la généalogie et qu'elle a évolué par la voie de la sélection naturelle. La dimension sociobiologique de la na• ture humaine questionne les présuppositions que la bonté humaine est inée et que le com• portement humain se modifie facilement par le renforcement. La sociobiologie suggère que les prédispositions humaines d'origines biologiques entreront souvent en conflit avec les normes légales et morales de la vie moderne et que la résolution de ce conflit ne sera pas facile. Par conséquent, la sociobiologie appuie l'enseignement direct des valeurs morales et des compétences sociales afin de compenser les vestiges des prédispositions gênant le développement du soi et du comportement social. Par ce fait, la sociobiologie sert de pierre d'angle à la raison d'être du conseiller à titre d'éducateur. Donald T. Campbell (1975) chose the occasion Human Nature of his presidential address to the American Psy• The nature of man has been an important con• chological Association to discuss the conflict be• cern of philosophers, poets, priests and peasants tween contemporary psychology and moral throughout recorded history. How much of our be• tradition. Arguing from a sociobiological havior is attributable to our biological heritage perspective, he challenged the psychological com• and how much is the result of the environment in munity to re-examine that conflict. Somewhat which we are raised and live? What is the source later, Christensen (1976) introduced readers of of good and evil in human behavior? Are we nat• the Canadian Counsellor to Campbell's argument urally good but sometimes corrupted by society or and to the potential implications of sociobiology are we savages requiring socialization in order to for the practice of counselling. Christensen's edito• behave in civilized ways? Is our behavior the re• rial provided stimulus for a special issue of the sult of rational and conscious choice, or is it large• Canadian Counsellor edited by Lloyd West ly the product of irrational and unconscious (1977) and devoted to the topic of "Teaching, The forces? Answers to questions like these make up Substance of Counselling." In that issue, Lang our assumptions about human nature and it is on (1977) reviewed three books on sociobiology and the basis of such assumptions that we decide what urged counsellors to gain some acquaintance with we ought to do and what we can hope to accom• this new discipline. The present writers now pick plish. up this theme for a more detailed look at the socio• Three forces (the psychoanalytical, the behav• biological paradigm and the implications of the ioral and the humanistic) are commonly believed sociobiological portrait of human nature for the to have exerted a major influence on the philosophy, theory and practice of counselling. developnent of counselling psychology. Before 168 William A. Lang and Lloyd W. West elaborating upon the sociobiological portrait of hu• supression or perversion of our inherent source of man nature, it will therefore be useful to briefly wisdom, human empathy, warmth and uncondi• review the positions held by eminent spokesmen tional acceptance leading to self-exploration are for these movements. presumed to aid its rediscovery. Clearly what we Freud, it will be recalled, held a very pessimistic believe about human nature makes a difference to view of human nature and was quite skeptical what we do as counsellors. about the future of our species. He contended that Sociobiology is a new discipline based upon people were driven from cradle to grave by uncon• modifications to Darwin's theory of evolution. It scious forces of sex and aggression and that with• claims not only that our basic nature is much less out social restraint chaos would reign supreme. than perfect, but also that it is biological. At a Cultural progress was thought possible only general level of description, sociobiology's through the inhibition and sublimation of sexual portrayal of human nature matches well with the and aggressive energies. Freud believed that Freudian. Sociobiologists, however, would not see people submit to social control in order to protect human nature limited to a few basic drives nor as themselves from one another. The security of the mechanistically determined as the instinct concept collective, however, comes at a price since seems to imply. Nash's (1970) "psychological effi• thwarted instinctual drives continue to generate ciency" construct captures the sociobiological internal tension. The appropriate release of this assumption about the relationship between genes tension is the key to effective adjustment. Thus, and human behavior. Nash (1970) claims that as the aim of psychoanalysis is to strengthen the ego a result of our biological heritage, "certain modes or rational component of the human personality so of function [are] easier to elicit and more effective that it can obtain control and find personally and in operation than others" (p. 8). Sociobiology puts socially constructive outlets for these instinctual detail to this construct by suggesting that our bio• impulses. logical heritage has programmed us in such a way Behaviorists, like B.F. Skinner, work under the that it is much easier to learn and to perform assumption that the content of "black boxes" is too self-enhancing behaviors than to learn or to intractable for speculation. Thus Skinner makes perform socially enhancing behaviors. From this few assumptions about human nature. Rather he perspective and contradistinction with the turns his attention to the observable effects of en• Rogerian and Skinnerian perspective, human vironmental variables on human behavior. This beings are neither basically good nor blessed with orientation leaves the impression that our biologi• virtually unlimited flexibility. Rather, we are cal heritage has endowed us with virtually unlim• biologically predisposed toward behavior which ited flexibility. The founding father of behavior• society will very likely judge as inimical. It is to be ism, J.B. Watson (1925) declared that he could expected, then, that human beings will often find take any infant at random and make of it anything that their natural inclinations are in conflict with he liked, given only the appropriate environment. societal expectations. In order to become good In the tradition of Watson, behaviorists generally citizens in a complex world, many social skills and assume that we turn out the way we do largely as a moral values will need to be learned. Moreover, result of environmental influences — the rewards this learning will not be easy. Barash (1977) likens and punishments in daily living. Since most of genetically influenced predispositions to the hu• what is "within" was put there by operant condi• man sweet tooth. We may overcome the excessive tioning, Skinner holds that cultural progress, how• use of sugar in our diet but it will require effort. ever defined, can be achieved only by the planned The counsellor who accepts the sociobiological and rigorous management of reinforcement con• picture of human nature must come to see him or tingencies. herself as an educator. Teaching becomes the Carl Rogers, representing the third force to preferred mode of enhancing both individual and influence counselling psychology, subscribes to the social welfare. romantic view that people are basically good. The Sociobiological Paradigm From this very optimistic perspective, human Sociobiology seeks an ultimate explanation for beings like Russeau's "noble savage" are naturally all social behavior in terms of biological evolution. inclined toward self and society enhancing behav• Although Darwin has first propounded the me• iors. Rogers contends that through the provision of chanics of natural selection in 1859, E. 0. growth facilitating "conditions," individuals are Wilson's founding text, Sociobiology: A New enabled to follow the wisdom of their organism, Synthesis, was published as recently as 1975. A which he believes to be a most reliable guide. brief look at this more-than-a-century hiatus be• Since a predisposition toward and a potential for tween Darwin's and Wilson's work will serve to goodnesrectlAlthougy taughsh "awaitsociat constructivsl within,influence" epeopl s modemae ysnee oresuldf no behaviort
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