Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Structuralism01:26

Structuralism

4.0K
Structuralism, an early psychological theory developed by Wilhelm Wundt and his student Edward Bradford Titchener, sought to dissect the human mind into its most fundamental components. Wundt's groundbreaking work in his laboratory set the stage for Titchener to define structuralism's goal as cataloging the "atoms" of the mind—sensations, images, and feelings—akin to how chemists identify elements of matter.
Titchener's approach to structuralism was unique. He...
4.0K
Psychosurgery01:30

Psychosurgery

2.3K
Psychosurgery, the surgical alteration or permanent removal of brain tissue to alleviate severe psychological conditions, stands as one of the most radical and controversial treatments in the history of mental health care. Its development and application have evolved significantly, marked by dramatic shifts in scientific understanding and ethical perspectives.
Historical Development of Psychosurgery
In the 1930s, Portuguese neurologist Antonio Egas Moniz introduced a surgical procedure designed...
2.3K
Psychosis: Pathophysiology of Schizophrenia and Other Psychotic Disorders01:27

Psychosis: Pathophysiology of Schizophrenia and Other Psychotic Disorders

2.4K
Schizophrenia is a neurodevelopmental disorder whose origins are rooted in complex genetic components. Despite our burgeoning understanding, the pathophysiology of this disorder remains incompletely deciphered.
Researchers have identified genetic factors that increase susceptibility to schizophrenia, underscoring the intricate interplay between genetics and environment in disease development. At the core of schizophrenia's pathophysiology is excessive dopaminergic neurotransmission within...
2.4K
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)01:27

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)

1.7K
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) serves as the primary classification system for mental health disorders, providing standardized diagnostic criteria for clinicians and researchers. First published by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) in 1952, the DSM has undergone several revisions to reflect evolving psychiatric understanding. The fifth edition, DSM-5, released in 2013, introduced key updates that expanded diagnostic categories and modified diagnostic...
1.7K
The Scientific Method02:40

The Scientific Method

67.2K
Research is what makes the difference between facts and opinions. Facts are observable realities, and opinions are personal judgments, conclusions, or attitudes that may or may not be accurate. In the scientific community, facts can be established only using evidence collected through empirical research.
67.2K
Theoretical Approaches to Psychological Disorder01:29

Theoretical Approaches to Psychological Disorder

1.0K
The development of psychological disorders, which are characterized by deviant, maladaptive, and personally distressing behaviors, has been explored through several theoretical approaches.
Biological approach
The biological approach posits that internal, organic factors are the primary causes of such disorders. This perspective emphasizes brain structure and function, genetic predispositions, and neurotransmitter imbalances. For example, schizophrenia has been associated with both genetic...
1.0K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Operationalism and its discontents.

The lancet. Psychiatry·2020
Same author

New Genetic Loci Associated With Chronic Kidney Disease in an Indigenous Australian Population.

Frontiers in genetics·2019
Same author

The Myth of Mental Illness: 50 years after publication: What does it mean today?

Irish journal of psychological medicine·2018
Same author

Parallel-Serial Memoing: A Novel Approach to Analyzing Qualitative Data.

Qualitative health research·2015
Same author

Motivational Interviewing Post-Stroke: An Analysis of Stroke Survivors' Concerns and Adjustment.

Qualitative health research·2015
Same author

Psychopathy: what apology making tells us about moral agency.

Theoretical medicine and bioethics·2014

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 28, 2026

The Adventures of Fundi Intervention Based on the Cognitive and Emotional Processing in Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder Patients
05:48

The Adventures of Fundi Intervention Based on the Cognitive and Emotional Processing in Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder Patients

Published on: June 12, 2020

6.6K

Against Explanatory Minimalism in Psychiatry.

Tim Thornton1

  • 1College of Health and Wellbeing, University of Central Lancashire , Preston , UK.

Frontiers in Psychiatry
|December 24, 2015
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

This study argues for a nuanced view of psychiatric explanations, challenging minimalist approaches. It reintroduces Wittgensteinian levels of explanation, crucial for understanding mental phenomena like delusions.

Keywords:
CampbellWittgensteinintentionalitylevels of explanationmechanismrationality

More Related Videos

Meta-analysis of Voxel-Based Neuroimaging Studies using Seed-based d Mapping with Permutation of Subject Images SDM-PSI
06:26

Meta-analysis of Voxel-Based Neuroimaging Studies using Seed-based d Mapping with Permutation of Subject Images SDM-PSI

Published on: November 27, 2019

79.2K
Event Related Potentials ERPs and other EEG Based Methods for Extracting Biomarkers of Brain Dysfunction: Examples from Pediatric Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder ADHD
10:02

Event Related Potentials ERPs and other EEG Based Methods for Extracting Biomarkers of Brain Dysfunction: Examples from Pediatric Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder ADHD

Published on: March 12, 2020

17.0K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Mar 28, 2026

The Adventures of Fundi Intervention Based on the Cognitive and Emotional Processing in Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder Patients
05:48

The Adventures of Fundi Intervention Based on the Cognitive and Emotional Processing in Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder Patients

Published on: June 12, 2020

6.6K
Meta-analysis of Voxel-Based Neuroimaging Studies using Seed-based d Mapping with Permutation of Subject Images SDM-PSI
06:26

Meta-analysis of Voxel-Based Neuroimaging Studies using Seed-based d Mapping with Permutation of Subject Images SDM-PSI

Published on: November 27, 2019

79.2K
Event Related Potentials ERPs and other EEG Based Methods for Extracting Biomarkers of Brain Dysfunction: Examples from Pediatric Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder ADHD
10:02

Event Related Potentials ERPs and other EEG Based Methods for Extracting Biomarkers of Brain Dysfunction: Examples from Pediatric Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder ADHD

Published on: March 12, 2020

17.0K

Area of Science:

  • Philosophy of Psychiatry
  • Cognitive Science
  • Philosophy of Mind

Background:

  • The concept of multiple levels of explanation in psychiatry has faced criticism, including claims of empirical falsity and conceptual unintelligibility.
  • Campbell's critique, rooted in interventionist causality, questions the basis for distinct explanatory levels in both physical and mental domains.
  • Superficial similarities exist between Campbell's critique and remarks by Wittgenstein in Zettel.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To re-evaluate the validity of multiple levels of explanation in psychiatry.
  • To explore the philosophical underpinnings of psychiatric explanation, particularly concerning causation and mental states.
  • To reconcile the need for specific explanatory levels for mental phenomena with the rejection of a priori links to neurology.

Main Methods:

  • Philosophical analysis of causation and explanation in psychiatry.
  • Comparative study of Campbell's interventionist critique and Wittgenstein's philosophy.
  • Contextual interpretation of Wittgenstein's remarks on mental causation and explanation.
  • Examination of propositional attitude attribution, including in cases of delusion.

Main Results:

  • Campbell's critique, while influential, may stem from an incomplete understanding of causation and explanation.
  • Wittgenstein's philosophy, when properly contextualized, supports a richer notion of explanatory levels than minimalist accounts allow.
  • An interventionist framework alone is insufficient for justifying the attribution of propositional attitudes, especially in complex cases like delusions.
  • A Wittgenstein-informed perspective can validate the necessity of particular explanatory levels for mental phenomena without asserting a necessary a priori connection to neurological levels.

Conclusions:

  • Explanatory minimalism in psychiatry should be rejected in favor of a Wittgensteinian approach to levels of explanation.
  • Understanding mental phenomena, including delusions, requires a broader philosophical context than interventionism provides.
  • The attribution of mental states is justified within specific explanatory contexts, not necessarily tied a priori to a single neurological level.