Realism and Psychology: Collected EssaysNigel Mackay, Agnes Petocz This book is a collection of new, published and revised essays on the place and value of scientific realism in psychology. Through critical analyses of contemporary psychology, essays argue that the realist requirements of a properly scientific psychology are often misunderstood even in the discipline s putatively scientific heart, with profound conceptual and empirical consequences. Against this, and in answer to recent calls to demonstrate the relevance of realism, the essays sketch the elements of a realist program: they discuss the recent history, development and principal features of a distinctive, thoroughgoing, realism for psychology: its theories, concepts, methods and applications. It thus aims to extend realism from philosophy to psychology, articulate a realist metatheory, clarify realism s relevance, and promote its discussion. |
Contents
PART ONE THE NATURE AND CONTEXT OF REALISM | 14 |
PART TWO FROM PHILOSOPHY TO PSYCHOLOGY | 159 |
PART THREE CRITIQUES AND DEVELOPMENTS | 323 |
AFTERWORD | 872 |
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affect Anderson argues argument assertion attitudes attributes behaviour brain Cambridge causal cause chology claim cognitive psychology cognitive relation cognitive science concept constructivist critical inquiry Descartes direct realism discourse distinction drive theory emotion empirical empiricism ence entities epistemology error example existence experience fact false belief Fodor Freud Gergen Hibberd human identify instinctual drives internal intrinsic involves kind knower knowledge language logical logical positivism London Maze Maze’s meaning measurement mental causation metatheoretical methods Michell mind motivation nature Neimeyer normal science notion objects ofthe ontological organism paradigm perception person Petocz philosophy physical primary drives principle problem processes properties proposition psychoanalysis psychol psychometricians psychometrics psychotherapy Pythagoreanism qualitative qualitative research quantitative question reality reference rejection rela relational situations relevant representationism representations requires scientific sense social constructionism structure Sydney symbolism things tion tive truth University of Sydney University Press