SELECTIONIST THOUGHT AND METHODOLOGICAL ORTHODOXY IN PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE

Selectionist theory in psychology conceptualizes behavior as a dynamic phenomenon subject to a variation and selection process similar to th at characterizing biological evolution. Though not formally recognized as a dominant psychological metatheory, selectionist thought can be i dentified in the writings of many of the discipline's eminent scholars . Although selectionism may possess considerable promise as a unifying theory, its widespread acceptance has likely been impeded by the larg e sample, null hypothesis testing research designs associated with the fisherian tradition.