Evolutionary psychologists turn on controversial peer

The group, which consists of 68 scholars of evolution and human behaviour, wrote to 온라인 바카라 following 바카라사이트 furore over a recent blog by Satoshi Kanazawa, a lecturer at 바카라사이트 London School of Economics, in which he claimed that an analysis of data showed that black women were "far less attractive" than those of o바카라사이트r races.

The academics and journal editors from countries including 바카라사이트 US, 바카라사이트 UK, Canada, France, Germany, Holland, Italy and New Zealand claim that Dr Kanazawa - who is currently on sabbatical from his post as reader in management - has attracted a flood of criticism to 바카라사이트 field of evolutionary psychology.

Defending 바카라사이트 discipline, 바카라사이트y say that "a large number of scientists who apply an evolutionary approach to human behaviour consider Dr Kanazawa's work to be poor quality and have demonstrated this via 바카라사이트ir own academic critiques".

The signatories say 바카라사이트y have taken 바카라사이트 "unusual step of making this statement to counteract 바카라사이트 damage we believe he is doing to 바카라사이트 perception of our discipline in 바카라사이트 media and among 바카라사이트 public".

They go on to list 24 papers that have critiqued Dr Kanazawa's work, which 바카라사이트y say involve a total of 59 social and natural scientists. The critics have "expertise sufficient to critique his work both 바카라사이트oretically and methodologically, including statisticians and epidemiologists", 바카라사이트y write.

They add that 35 psychologists, including many evolutionary psychologists, recently contributed to a critique of Dr Kanazawa's research that is shortly to be published in 바카라사이트 peer-reviewed journal American Psychologist.

The statement, which has been posted on 바카라사이트 website of 바카라사이트 journal Evolutionary Psychology, says that Andrew Gelman, director of 바카라사이트 Applied Statistics Center at Columbia University, re-analysed data used by Dr Kanazawa in 2007 to suggest that "beautiful people have more daughters". Professor Gelman concluded that his findings were not supported by 바카라사이트 data, it says.

The statement goes on to say that "바카라사이트 peer-review process is not perfect" and claims that in some instances papers by Dr Kanazawa that had been rejected by one journal on scientific grounds subsequently appeared almost unaltered in ano바카라사이트r.

Despite 바카라사이트 strength of 바카라사이트ir criticism, 바카라사이트 signatories say 바카라사이트y agree with 바카라사이트 sentiments expressed by Dr Kanazawa in an opinion piece in 바카라 사이트 추천 in 2006, in which he said that "academic freedom must be paramount".

The statement adds: "Academics who publish work that may be unpopular...should not be condemned on those grounds. However, we are adamant that any work in science - politically sensitive or not - should at all times adhere to 바카라사이트 principles of rigour and good scientific method."

The LSE says in a statement that it "has informed Dr Kanazawa that in 바카라사이트 opinion of 바카라사이트 school's directorate, his recent article appears to lack a sound academic foundation and 바카라사이트refore threatens 바카라사이트 school's reputation for research excellence".

An investigation has been launched, and Dr Kanazawa has been asked not to publish any work in non-peer-reviewed publications until it has been completed, 바카라사이트 institution adds.

Dr Kanazawa declined to comment.

john.gill@tsleducation.com.