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Beyond behaviorism: on the automaticity of higher mental processes.
1Department of Psychology, New York University, New York 10003, USA.
Psychological Bulletin
|December 7, 2000
Summary
Behaviorism and cognitive science share a deterministic view of higher mental processes. Modern social cognition research on automaticity supports this, showing complex thought can occur without conscious will.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Cognitive Science
- Social Psychology
Background:
- Historical dominance of behaviorism and cognitive science in psychology.
- Shared philosophical commitment to determinism in both schools of thought.
- Radical behaviorist ideas on determinism of higher mental processes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the pursuit of behaviorist determinism in contemporary social cognition research.
- To connect social cognition research on automaticity with dual process models.
- To provide evidence for the determinism of higher mental processes.
Main Methods:
- Review of social cognition research focusing on automaticity.
- Analysis of "dual process" models in cognitive science.
- Examination of studies on social interaction, evaluation, judgment, and goal structures.
Main Results:
- Social cognition research on automaticity provides evidence for the determinism of higher mental processes.
- Automatic processes, as defined in dual process models, align with deterministic principles.
- Higher mental processes like social interaction and judgment can operate without conscious intervention.
Conclusions:
- Contemporary social cognition research validates the behaviorist thesis of determined higher mental processes.
- Automaticity in social cognition demonstrates that complex mental operations can occur non-consciously.
- The findings support a deterministic framework for understanding higher mental processes in psychology.
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