Not only was primatology devalued in modern science prior to Goodall's observations, but it was also executed in an objective, generalized manner.
Primatology - the study of primates
"The problem was that nobody was actually studying large mammals at that time... there were one or two exceptions, and nobody had studied chimps, partially because everybody thought they were dangerous. [Scientists] were very good at doing analytical approaches and not looking at individual behavior and focusing on what they called instinct... sort of rigid behaviors... [They] tried to imagine the species as a whole single unit rather than a collection of individuals who have differences."
-Dale Peterson, author and close friend of Goodall
CHIMPANZEES:
CAPTIVES OF SCIENCE
Traditional primatologists before Goodall did short-term studies, carrying out their observations in an inhumane, aloof manner.
Scroll over the pictures to learn about traditional primatologist methods.
In order: {Yerkes Laboratory, 1925; Brown University, 1955; JSTOR, 1946}