Selection by consequences: one unifying principle for a transdisciplinary science of prevention.
The principle of selection by consequences is critical to the analysis of a broad range of phenomena in the biological and behavioral sciences from the evolution of species to the selection of cultural practices. This paper reviews the role of that principle in diverse areas of the biobehavioral sciences and discusses how it can provide one dimension along which the diverse disciplines relevant to the prevention of problems of human behavior can be integrated. Such integration should improve the ability of prevention science to reduce the incidence and prevalence of human behavior problems.
Biglan
Anthony
A
Oregon Research Institute, 1715 Franklin Blvd., Eugene, Oregon 97403-1983, USA. tony@ori.org
D001525:Behavioral Sciences; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016487:Parenting; D012641:Selection, Genetic; D035503:Sociobiology