Research in In Extremis Settings: Expanding the Critique of 'Why They Fight'

Previous work by the author that was based on data collected in combat has been criticized, based on its ability to generalize to research done in routine, peaceful settings. The idea that behavioral and social scientists may test the robustness of their theories by studying the same phenomenon across in extremis settings is explored. Research involving human participants conducted in safe, peaceful settings will not necessarily generalize to combat; combat findings may differ from those developed elsewhere. The appropriate scientific approach is to replicate and extend, in the combat context, findings already well established in peacetime work.