Disseminating Intention: How a term has spread within cross-species comparative science

Area of Science:

• Cross-species comparative psychology
• Cognitive science
• History of science

Background:

• The term "intention" is central to the cognitive revolution in comparative research.
• Understanding the historical dissemination and conceptualization of "intention" is crucial for current debates.

Purpose of the Study:

• To holistically analyze the use and evolution of the term "intention" in cross-species comparative research from 1948 to 2017.
• To identify distinct schools of thought and their citation networks regarding "intention."
• To examine the influence of species studied on the discourse surrounding "intention."

Main Methods:

• Citation network analysis of 641 articles published between 1948 and 2017.
• Mixed-methods approach combining qualitative and quantitative analysis.
• Categorization of articles by school of thought, discourse position, intentionality order, and species.

Main Results:

• Identified two divergent schools of thought: psychological/philosophical and biological/behavioristic, with limited citation overlap.
• The term "intention" has seen increased usage, particularly within cognitive approaches.
• Controversy primarily surrounds the order of intentionality, not the concept itself.
• A significant primate bias was observed in cognitive studies of "intention."

Conclusions:

• Two distinct conceptualizations of "intention" have independently influenced comparative science.
• The successful career of "intention" is linked to cognitive approaches, despite limited application elsewhere.
• Addressing speciesism and integrating historical perspectives are vital for advancing comparative psychology and avoiding miscommunication.