How metaphysical commitments shape the study of psychological mechanisms
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 20401799 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Eric Hochstein (0000-0001-9741-4469, University of Victoria, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2019 |
| Volume | 29 |
| Issue | 5 |
| Pages | 579-600 |
| Publication date | 2019-10-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Theory & Psychology (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0959-3543 • E-ISSN: 1461-7447 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/0959354319860591 |
| OpenAlex | W2961703236 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 7 |
| References cited | 51 |
The study of psychological mechanisms is an interdisciplinary endeavour, requiring insights from many different domains (from electrophysiology, to psychology, to theoretical neuroscience, to computer science). In this article, I argue that philosophy plays an essential role in this interdisciplinary project, and that effective scientific study of psychological mechanisms requires that working scientists be responsible metaphysicians. This means adopting deliberate metaphysical positions when studying mechanisms that go beyond what is empirically justified regarding the nature of the phenomenon being studied, the conditions of its occurrence, and its boundaries. Such metaphysical commitments are necessary in order to set up experimental protocols, determine which variables to manipulate under experimental conditions, and which conclusions to draw from different scientific models and theories. It is important for scientists to be aware of the metaphysical commitments they adopt, since they can easily be led astray if invoked carelessly
Cognitive science · Epistemology · Metaphysics · Phenomenon · Philosophy of science · Psychological science · Computer Science · Mental Health Research Topics · Neural dynamics and brain function · Paranormal Experiences and Beliefs · Philosophy · Psychology · Social Psychology
How is the Mind/Brain Composed? Two Sorts of Mechanisms in Cognitive Science
Facecraft
Mechanisms in psychology
Integration without integrated models or theories
A roadmap to explanatory pluralism
Expanding the notion of mechanism to further understanding of biopsychosocial disorders? Depression and medically-unexplained pain as cases in point
Challenging the Mechanistic View of Integration in Psychiatry
Are smiles a sign of happiness? Spontaneous expressions of judo winners
Studying Human Behavior
In Search of Mechanisms
Explaining the Brain
Neural reuse
A quantitative description of membrane current and its application to conduction and excitation in nerve
Can cognitive processes be inferred from neuroimaging data?
Cross-cultural recognition of basic emotions through nonverbal emotional vocalizations
Pan-Cultural Elements in Facial Displays of Emotion
Integrative Pluralism
Are Emotions Natural Kinds?
Autonomic Nervous System Activity Distinguishes Among Emotions
Language and the perception of emotion
The voice conveys emotion in ten globalized cultures and one remote village in Bhutan
Is there universal recognition of emotion from facial expression? A review of the cross-cultural studies
Can mechanistic explanation be reconciled with scale-free constitution and dynamics
Modularity of Mind
Functional integration and the mind
The multiplicity of experimental protocols
One mechanism, many models
Explanatory completeness and idealization in large brain simulations
Giving up on convergence and autonomy
Crash Testing an Engineering Framework in Neuroscience
Functional Neuroimages Fail to Discover Pieces of Mind in the Parts of the Brain
Thinking about Mechanisms
Evolutionary Psychology and the Massive Modularity Hypothesis
Universals and cultural differences in the judgments of facial expressions of emotion
Constants across cultures in the face and emotion
An argument for basic emotions
On the universality and cultural specificity of emotion recognition
| Citations per year | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2019 - 2026 (8) |
| Highly cited | No |