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Mentalism
Jay Moore
UW-Milwaukee
Definition of mentalism
An orientation to the explanation of behavior
in terms of the causal properties of mental acts, states, mechanisms, processes, entities, structures, faculties, and cognitions.
Phenomena inferred to belong to an unobservable, nonbehavioral domain: psychic, mental, cognitive, subjective—domain of ”Mind.”
Definition of mentalism (con’t.)
Phenomena inferred to underlie observable behavior.
Phenomena different from observable events, variables, and relations in the environment.
Source: Innate, maturational, evolutionary, but not acquired through experience with environment
Definition of mentalism (con’t.)
Traditional mind-body psychophysical (i.e., substance) dualism is an example, but not the only one.
Acts, states, etc. are causes for purpose of explanation.
Behaviorism is false because it only talks about observable factors involved in performance—questions of how, and not about unobservable structures underlying performance—questions of why.
Examples
Folk psychologyPerception => copy theory of sensesMediational S – O – R neobehaviorismFreudPiaget
Sublimation of instinct is an especially conspicuous feature of cultural development; it is what
makes it possible for higher psychical activities, scientific, artistic, or ideological, to play
such an important part in civilized life.
Freud (1930, p. 49)
A phenomenon is always biological in its roots, and social
at its end point. But we must not forget, also, that between the
two is mental.
Piaget (1976, p. 42)
Why do mentalists argue in favor of mentalism?
Necessary to include unobservables: All sciences have progressed by doing so.
Not necessarily dualism.
Explanation consists in specifying underlying structural elements responsible for behavior (why?), rather than describing performance as in behavior analysis (how?).
Example: Computer metaphor of information processing.
Why do radical behaviorists argue against mentalism?
Why do radical behaviorists argue against mentalism?
Mentalistic verbal behavior not sufficiently based on scientific observation and tact relation.
Mentalistic verbal behavior based on 3 extraneous, incidental sources of control: • social-cultural tradition (folk psychology)• linguistic practices• metaphors
Why do radical behaviorists argue against mentalism? (con’t.)
Results in echoic-textual, intraverbal control, leading to conformity to authority, tradition.
Structural elements appealed to as antecedent causes are autonomous in origin, promote nothing can be done about it attitude.
Why do radical behaviorists argue against mentalism? (con’t.)
Continuation of mediational S-O-R neobehaviorism with its mediating hypothetical entities & hypothetical constructs.
Insufficiently concerned with prediction and control.
Insufficiently based on tact relation and not pragmatic.
Unobservables?
Aristotle Ordinary language
Material That out of which
Efficient That by the action of which
Formal That according to which
Final That for the sake of which
Causes and Explanations
Aristotle Ordinary language
Statue
Material That out of which
Bronze, marble
Efficient That by the action of which
Hands + tools of sculptor
Formal That according to which
Model, drawing
Final That for the sake of which
To confer honor
Causes and Explanations
Aristotle Ordinary language
Statue Behavior analysis
Material That out of which
Bronze, marble
Physiology
Efficient That by the action of which
Hands + tools of sculptor
Contingency
Formal That according to which
Model, drawing
Discriminative stimulus
Final That for the sake of which
To confer honor
Reinforcing consequence
Causes and Explanations
Some events that are unobservable to others are
indeed directly relevant to an understanding of behavior:
(a) when we learn to talk about our sensations and feelings, and
(b) when covert forms of behavior influence us. Let’s call
these “Private Behavioral Events,” or PBE.
Private behavioral
events
Behavioral dimensions
Same response system but reduced in magnitude
Functionally related to
public events
Conditional, not S → O → R mediational
Why are PBE not mentalistic?
Summary and conclusions
Problems created by Mentalism
1. Unpragmatic
2. Misrepresents facts
3. Impedes search for relevant variables
4. Allays curiosity by getting us to accept false causes
5. Creates false assurances about state of our knowledge
Summary and conclusions
Effective answers are in terms of contingencies in the behavioral domain, at the levels of phylogeny, ontogeny, & the culture.
Effective answers promote greater freedom, dignity, meaning, and worth in human life.
Discussion questions
According to the presentation,How is mentalism defined?
Discussion questions
How might an explanation that appeals to neuroscience be mentalistic?
Discussion questions
Why do mentalists argue in favor of mentalism?
Discussion questions
Why do radical behaviorists argue against mentalism?
Discussion questions
Why is talk of private behavioral events not mentalistic?