This book is about some topical philosophical and methodological prob lems that arise in the study of behavior and mind, as well as in the treatment of behavioral and mental disorders. It deals with such questions as 'What is behavior a manifestation of?', 'What is mind, and how is it related to matter?', 'Which are the positive legacies, if any, of the major psychological schools?', 'How can behavior and mind best be studied?', and 'Which are the most effective ways of modifying behavioral and mental processes?' These questions and their kin cannot be avoided in the long run because they fuel the daily search for better hypotheses, experimental designs, techniques, and treatments. They also occur in the critical examination of data and theories, as well as methods for the treatment of behavioral and mental disorders. All students of human or animal, normal or abnormal behavior and mind, whether their main concern is basic or applied, theoretical or em pirical, admit more or less tacitly to a large number of general philosophi cal and methodological principles.

Klappentext

This book is about some topical philosophical and methodological prob­ lems that arise in the study of behavior and mind, as well as in the treatment of behavioral and mental disorders. It deals with such questions as 'What is behavior a manifestation of?', 'What is mind, and how is it related to matter?', 'Which are the positive legacies, if any, of the major psychological schools?', 'How can behavior and mind best be studied?', and 'Which are the most effective ways of modifying behavioral and mental processes?' These questions and their kin cannot be avoided in the long run because they fuel the daily search for better hypotheses, experimental designs, techniques, and treatments. They also occur in the critical examination of data and theories, as well as methods for the treatment of behavioral and mental disorders. All students of human or animal, normal or abnormal behavior and mind, whether their main concern is basic or applied, theoretical or em­ pirical, admit more or less tacitly to a large number of general philosophi­ cal and methodological principles.

Inhalt

I Preliminaries.- 1 Why Philosophy of Psychology.- 1.1 Influence of Philosophy on Psychology.- 1.2 Philosophies of Mind.- 1.3 The Identity Hypotheses.- 1.4 Philosophical Presuppositions of Scientific Research.- 1.5 Philosophies of Psychology.- 1.6 Summing Up.- 2 What Psychology is About.- 2.1 Definitions of Psychology.- 2.2 Referents of Psychology.- 2.3 The Fragmentation of Psychology and How to Remedy It.- 2.4 Unification in Action.- 2.5 Aims of Psychology.- 2.6 Summing Up.- II Approach and Method.- 3 Approaches to Behavior and Mind.- 3.1 Approach.- 3.2 Atomism, Holism, and Systemism.- 3.3 Nonscientific Approaches to Psychology.- 3.4 Toward a Scientific Psychology.- 3.5 Scientific Psychology.- 3.6 Summing Up.- 4 Methodology.- 4.1 Method.- 4.2 Observation.- 4.3 Measurement.- 4.4 Experiment.- 4.5 Inference.- 4.6 Summing Up.- III Brainless Psychology.- 5 Mentalism.- 5.1 Subjective Experience.- 5.2 Classical Psychology.- 5.3 Gestalt Psychology.- 5.4 Information-Processing Psychology.- 5.5 Pop Psychology.- 5.6 Summing Up.- 6 Behaviorism.- 6.1 Phenomenalism (Black-Boxism).- 6.2 Environmentalism.- 6.3 Operationism.- 6.4 Intervening Variables.- 6.5 Hypothetical Constructs.- 6.6 Summing Up.- IV Biopsychology.- 7 Neurobiology.- 7.1 Brain & Co.- 7.2 Plasticity.- 7.3 Development.- 7.4 Evolution.- 7.5 Functional Localization.- 7.6 Summing Up.- 8 Basic Functions.- 8.1 Movement.- 8.2 Affect.- 8.3 Sensation.- 8.4 Attention.- 8.5 Memory.- 8.6 Summing Up.- 9 Higher Functions.- 9.1 Learning.- 9.2 Perception.- 9.3 Conception.- 9.4 Cognition.- 9.5 Intention.- 9.6 Summing Up.- V The Social Aspect.- 10 The Social Matrix of Behavior.- 10.1 Psychology: Natural Science or Social Science?.- 10.2 Culture.- 10.3 Social Classes.- 10.4 Socialization.- 10.5 Cultural Homogenization.- 10.6 Summing Up.- 11 Consciousness.- 11.1 Distinctions.- 11.2 Definitions.- 11.3 Applications.- 11.4 Hypotheses.- 11.5 Experimental Tests.- 11.6 Summing Up.- 12 Psychotechnology.- 12.1 Clinical Psychology and Psychiatry.- 12.2 Educational Psychology.- 12.3 Industrial and Organizational Psychology.- 12.4 Designing Cultures.- 12.5 The Goals of Psychotechnology.- 12.6 Summing Up.- VI Conclusion.- 13 Concluding Remarks.- 13.1 Reduction.- 13.2 Integration.- 13.3 Explanation.- 13.4 Prospects.- 13.5 Philosophical Harvest.- 13.6 Summing Up.- References.- Name Index.