supporting the concept of ontogenetic roots of altruism
The best piece of evidence which can be used to demonstrate that people are born with compassion and kindness is that whenever they have opportunities for helping, infants tend to so, even without external rewards (Bloom). This fact has been proven empirically by scientists. Besides, the other two alternative reasons for altruism generally are compliance with social norms and imitation. These two alternatives can be eliminated because infants are not capable of internalizing value systems such as altruism. Also, infants who demonstrate prosocial behavior cannot be said to have imitated the same from adults because they have little interaction (Warneken and Tomasello 464).
The best research method of generating evidence to support the concept of ontogenetic roots of altruism is the conducting of experiments. Experiments are the most effective way of collecting empirical evidence because they can test ideas. Scientists come up with a hypothesis regarding a particular concept and then proceed to experiment to ascertain their predictions. The form of an experiment that can be utilized to obtain empirical evidence from the case scenario that seeks to understand the ontogenetic roots of altruism is observation. Observation is a method that is used to collect non-measurable information, also referred to as qualitative empirical data. Qualitative data is utilized when carrying out experiments in social sciences, among other disciplines that do not require measurable data. In these disciplines, the data obtained is used to study human behavior and patterns.
A researcher can utilize the observational method by observing to gather the desired data from their target. The observational process is substantially similar to the ethnographic approach, which also involves observation of the subject of study to obtain data. It should be noted that the observational method doubles as both a qualitative and quantitative method of research based on the subject of an investigation under observation. This method is useful because the researcher can obtain first-hand information regarding the matter of their study. By way of example, research takes time to observe the behavior of an animal, which is the subject of study in the Amazon forest. The research has to be conducted for a set period to study the pattern or behavior of the subject under investigation. Another example of the use of the observation method is the observation of people in a shopping mall to study the behavior of consumers.
In this context, a researcher can utilize the observation method to study patterns of behavior that point to altruism amongst infants. The study is experimental but does not involve any numerical data because the subject of the survey is infants and hence cannot be measured. To illustrate that, children have a natural tendency to develop altruistic behavior, the experiment organized should demonstrate that young children can act in a prosocial manner, independent of other related factors such as socialization into the society and imitation. The researcher should then observe the behavior of the infants in the experiment to prove their hypothesis.