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David Herring, JD — Law and Behavioral Biology Research: Kinship Foster Care as a Case Study

1,208 views · Published 21 February 2013 · 46:57 · Indexed 2 October 2026

Channel: AncestryFoundation · 2013 · Science & Technology

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David Herring, J.D., presenting at the Ancestral Health Symposium 2012 (AHS12)

Law and Behavioral Biology Research: Kinship Foster Care as a Case Study

Abstract:
This presentation begins with an overview of applied evolutionary psychology in the context of law and policy. The overview includes several concrete examples of legal scholars' use of behavioral biology research to explore law and policy related to subjects such as child maltreatment, rape, and employment discrimination.  

The presentation then moves to a detailed description of the use of behavioral biology research to examine kinship foster care law and policy.  The focus is on grandparent investment research.  

Based on evolutionary theory, there have been several studies indicating that maternal grandparents tend to invest heavily in grandchildren, enhancing child nutrition and lowering the risk of mortality.  

In contrast, the presence of other grandparent types tends to increase the risk of child mortality.  This latter effect seems to be especially pronounced for paternal grandmothers.  The research in this area has implications for law and policy related to kinship foster care placements.    

Bio: 
David J. Herring is professor of law and former dean at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law.  He has written extensively on child welfare law issues.  His most recent work focuses on behavioral biology research and its implications for children placed in foster care.

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