Mathematical Psychology Today

In positive psychology, we must challenge a common error of professional psychology, today: making diagnostic, treatment, and policy decisions primarily on deficiencies of the person instead of giving serious consideration to “deficits” and “strengths” of both person and environment. This mission may seem disheartening in that it requires greater rather than less cognitive complexity. Yet this multifaceted focus is crucial if two system concepts—whole person and behavior as a function of person in interaction with environment—are to betaken seriously (Lewin, 1935 ). Practice and research that fall short of attending to this person-environment interaction does a disservice to remedial possibilities and personal integrity. We have divided this chapter into two parts. In the first part, we present enlightening concepts together with supporting research. In the second part, we apply the insights gained to professional practice and research and make specific recommendations regarding each of the issues raised.

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If Mathematical Psychology Did Not Exist We Might Need to Invent It: A Comment on Theory Building in Psychology

Perspectives on Psychological Science ◽

10.1177/1745691620974769 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 174569162097476

Author(s):

Danielle J. Navarro

Keyword(s):

Empirical Work ◽

Psychological Theory ◽

Statistical Problem ◽

Theory Building ◽

Mathematical Formalism ◽

Mathematical Psychology ◽

Complex Relationship ◽

Physical Sciences ◽

The Past ◽

The Subject

It is commonplace, when discussing the subject of psychological theory, to write articles from the assumption that psychology differs from the physical sciences in that we have no theories that would support cumulative, incremental science. In this brief article I discuss one counterexample: Shepard’s law of generalization and the various Bayesian extensions that it inspired over the past 3 decades. Using Shepard’s law as a running example, I argue that psychological theory building is not a statistical problem, mathematical formalism is beneficial to theory, measurement and theory have a complex relationship, rewriting old theory can yield new insights, and theory growth can drive empirical work. Although I generally suggest that the tools of mathematical psychology are valuable to psychological theorists, I also comment on some limitations to this approach.

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Nothing in Popular Culture Makes Sense except in the Light of Evolution

Review of General Psychology ◽

10.1037/a0027906 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 16 (2) ◽

pp. 109-120 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Gad Saad

Keyword(s):

Popular Culture ◽

Evolutionary Psychology ◽

Case Analysis ◽

Human Mind ◽

Cultural Form ◽

The Public ◽

Psychology Today ◽

Wide Range ◽

Current Article ◽

Song Lyrics

An evolutionary lens can inform the study of cultural forms in a myriad of ways. These can be construed as adaptations, as exaptations (evolutionary byproducts), as gene–culture interactions, as memes, or as fossils of the human mind. Products of popular culture (e.g., song lyrics, movie themes, romance novels) are to evolutionary cultural theorists what fossils and skeletal remains represent to paleontologists. Although human minds do not fossilize or skeletonize (the cranium does), the cultural products created by human minds do. By identifying universally recurring themes for a given cultural form (song lyrics and collective wisdoms in the current article), spanning a wide range of cultures and time periods, one is able to test key tenets of evolutionary psychology. In addition to using evolutionary psychology to understand the contents of popular culture, the discipline can itself be studied as a contributor to popular culture. Beginning with the sociobiology debates in the 1970s, evolutionary informed analyses of human behavior have engendered great fascination and animus among the public at large. Following a brief summary of studies that have explored the diffusion of the evolutionary behavioral sciences within specific communities (e.g., the British media), I offer a case analysis of the penetration of evolutionary psychology within the blogosphere, specifically the blog community hosted by Psychology Today.

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Psychology Today in APA's Tomorrow

Science ◽

10.1126/science.219.4590.1301.c ◽

1983 ◽

Vol 219 (4590) ◽

pp. 1301-1301

Author(s):

John Walsh

Keyword(s):

Psychology Today

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