Hunter vs. farmer theory
Encyclopedia
The hunter vs. farmer theory is a hypothesis
proposed by Thom Hartmann
about the origins of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder
(ADHD) and adult attention-deficit disorder
(AADD), suggesting that these conditions may be a result of a form of adaptive behavior
.
Hartmann developed the hunter vs. farmer idea as a mental model
after his own son was disheartened following a diagnosis of ADHD, stating, "It's not hard science, and was never intended to be." Nonetheless, some researchers used the hunter vs. farmer idea as a working hypothesis about the origin of ADHD.
ic hunter gatherers for hundreds of thousands of years, but that this standard gradually changed as agriculture
developed in most societies, and more people worldwide became farmer
s. Over many years, most humans adapted to farming cultures, but Hartmann speculates that people with ADHD retained some of the older hunter characteristics.
A key component of the theory is that the proposed "hyperfocus
" aspect of ADHD is a gift or benefit. The theory also explains the distractibility factor in ADHD individuals and their short attention span, along with various other characteristics, such as apathy towards social norms, poor planning and organizing ability, distorted sense of time, impatience, and impulsiveness. It is argued that in the hunter-gatherer
cultures that preceded farming societies, hunters needed hyperfocus more than gatherers.
A 2008 New Scientist article by Tim Callaway reports that research of ADHD and related traits in different cultures offers some support for the hunter vs. farmer theory. According to evolutionary anthropologist Ben Campbell of the University of Wisconsin–Madison
, studies of the Ariaal
, an isolated nomadic group in Kenya
, suggest that hyperactivity and impulsivity—key traits of ADHD—have distinct advantages to nomadic peoples. Additionally, nomadic Ariaal have high rates of a genetic mutation linked to ADHD, while more settled Ariaal populations have lower rates of this mutation. Henry Harpending
of the University of Utah
reports that with this genetic mutation, "You probably do better in a context of aggressive competition."
Hypothesis
A hypothesis is a proposed explanation for a phenomenon. The term derives from the Greek, ὑποτιθέναι – hypotithenai meaning "to put under" or "to suppose". For a hypothesis to be put forward as a scientific hypothesis, the scientific method requires that one can test it...
proposed by Thom Hartmann
Thom Hartmann
Thom Hartmann is an American radio host, author, former psychotherapist and entrepreneur, and progressive political commentator. His nationally-syndicated radio show, The Thom Hartmann Program, airs in the United States and has 2.75 million listeners a week...
about the origins of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder
Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is a developmental disorder. It is primarily characterized by "the co-existence of attentional problems and hyperactivity, with each behavior occurring infrequently alone" and symptoms starting before seven years of age.ADHD is the most commonly studied and...
(ADHD) and adult attention-deficit disorder
Adult attention-deficit disorder
Adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is the common term used to describe the neuropsychiatric condition attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder when it is present in adults. Up to 60% of children diagnosed with ADHD in early childhood continue to demonstrate notable ADHD symptoms as...
(AADD), suggesting that these conditions may be a result of a form of adaptive behavior
Adaptive behavior
Adaptive behavior is a type of behavior that is used to adjust to another type of behavior or situation. This is often characterized by a kind of behavior that allows an individual to change an unconstructive or disruptive behavior to something more constructive. These behaviors are most often...
.
Hartmann developed the hunter vs. farmer idea as a mental model
Mental model
A mental model is an explanation of someone's thought process about how something works in the real world. It is a representation of the surrounding world, the relationships between its various parts and a person's intuitive perception about his or her own acts and their consequences...
after his own son was disheartened following a diagnosis of ADHD, stating, "It's not hard science, and was never intended to be." Nonetheless, some researchers used the hunter vs. farmer idea as a working hypothesis about the origin of ADHD.
Overview
Hartmann notes that most or all humans were nomadNomad
Nomadic people , commonly known as itinerants in modern-day contexts, are communities of people who move from one place to another, rather than settling permanently in one location. There are an estimated 30-40 million nomads in the world. Many cultures have traditionally been nomadic, but...
ic hunter gatherers for hundreds of thousands of years, but that this standard gradually changed as agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
developed in most societies, and more people worldwide became farmer
Farmer
A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, who raises living organisms for food or raw materials, generally including livestock husbandry and growing crops, such as produce and grain...
s. Over many years, most humans adapted to farming cultures, but Hartmann speculates that people with ADHD retained some of the older hunter characteristics.
A key component of the theory is that the proposed "hyperfocus
Hyperfocus
Hyperfocus is an intense form of mental concentration or visualization that focuses consciousness on a narrow subject, separate from objective reality and onto subjective mental planes, daydreams, concepts, fiction, the imagination, and other objects of the mind...
" aspect of ADHD is a gift or benefit. The theory also explains the distractibility factor in ADHD individuals and their short attention span, along with various other characteristics, such as apathy towards social norms, poor planning and organizing ability, distorted sense of time, impatience, and impulsiveness. It is argued that in the hunter-gatherer
Hunter-gatherer
A hunter-gatherer or forage society is one in which most or all food is obtained from wild plants and animals, in contrast to agricultural societies which rely mainly on domesticated species. Hunting and gathering was the ancestral subsistence mode of Homo, and all modern humans were...
cultures that preceded farming societies, hunters needed hyperfocus more than gatherers.
Science and the hunter vs. farmer theory
The hunter vs. farmer theory proposes that the high frequency of ADHD in contemporary settings "represents otherwise normal behavioral strategies that become maladaptive in such evolutionarily novel environments as the formal school classroom." An important view, with considerable genetic backing, is that some of these genetic variants may have value in certain kinds of social groups, such as those that have migrated. Genetic variants conferring susceptibility to ADHD are very frequent—implying that the trait had provided selective advantage in the past.A 2008 New Scientist article by Tim Callaway reports that research of ADHD and related traits in different cultures offers some support for the hunter vs. farmer theory. According to evolutionary anthropologist Ben Campbell of the University of Wisconsin–Madison
University of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
, studies of the Ariaal
Ariaal
The Ariaal are northern Kenyan pastoralists.They claim descent from cattle-owning Samburu who captured significant herds of camels and learnt how to manage them from their eastern neighbours, the Rendille. This led them to adopt the Rendille culture, language, and other Rendille practices, such as...
, an isolated nomadic group in Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
, suggest that hyperactivity and impulsivity—key traits of ADHD—have distinct advantages to nomadic peoples. Additionally, nomadic Ariaal have high rates of a genetic mutation linked to ADHD, while more settled Ariaal populations have lower rates of this mutation. Henry Harpending
Henry Harpending
Henry C. Harpending is an anthropologist and population geneticist at the University of Utah, where he is a distinguished professor...
of the University of Utah
University of Utah
The University of Utah, also known as the U or the U of U, is a public, coeducational research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The university was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret by the General Assembly of the provisional State of Deseret, making it Utah's oldest...
reports that with this genetic mutation, "You probably do better in a context of aggressive competition."
See also
- Continuum conceptContinuum conceptThe continuum concept is an idea relating to human development proposed by Jean Liedloff in her 1975 book The Continuum Concept. According to Liedloff, in order to achieve optimal physical, mental and emotional development, human beings—especially babies—require the kind of experience to which...
- NeurodiversityNeurodiversityNeurodiversity is a "controversial concept [that] ... regards atypical neurologicaldevelopment as a normal human difference". According to Jaarsma and Welin , the "neurodiversity movement was developed in the 1990s by online groups of autistic persons...
- Controversy about ADHDControversy about ADHDThe causes, diagnosis, and the treatment of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder have been the subject of active debate at least since the 1970s. For various reasons, ADHD remains one of the most controversial psychiatric disorders despite being a well validated clinical diagnosis...
- Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorderAttention-deficit hyperactivity disorderAttention deficit hyperactivity disorder is a developmental disorder. It is primarily characterized by "the co-existence of attentional problems and hyperactivity, with each behavior occurring infrequently alone" and symptoms starting before seven years of age.ADHD is the most commonly studied and...
(ADD or ADHD) - Adult attention-deficit disorderAdult attention-deficit disorderAdult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is the common term used to describe the neuropsychiatric condition attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder when it is present in adults. Up to 60% of children diagnosed with ADHD in early childhood continue to demonstrate notable ADHD symptoms as...
(AADD) - HyperfocusHyperfocusHyperfocus is an intense form of mental concentration or visualization that focuses consciousness on a narrow subject, separate from objective reality and onto subjective mental planes, daydreams, concepts, fiction, the imagination, and other objects of the mind...
External links
- National Mental Health association, AADD webspage
- Adult Attention Deficit Disorder website with links
- Helpguide: ADHD or ADD: Signs, Symptoms, and Subtypes
- Article on Hunter Farmer Theory
Further reading
- Hartmann,Thom "Attention Deficit Disorder, A Different Perception" subtitled "A Hunter in a Farmers World".