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

Emerging Adulthood01:27

Emerging Adulthood

575
Jeffrey Arnett's concept of emerging adulthood offers a framework to understand the unique developmental stage between adolescence and full-fledged adulthood, generally from ages 18 to 25. This period is marked by extensive exploration and shifts in identity, relationships, and career choices, a process known in psychology as role experimentation. Emerging adulthood reflects the evolving cultural expectations surrounding adulthood and the dynamic process of personal transformation during...
575
Impact of Social Context on Individuals01:21

Impact of Social Context on Individuals

258
Social psychology examines how the real or imagined presence of others influences individuals' thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. A key concept in this field is the role of social context in shaping behavior. The same individual may act differently depending on the social setting, due to the varying expectations and norms associated with each environment. This context-dependent behavior illustrates the influence of social roles, which prescribe appropriate conduct in specific situations.Social...
258
Erikson's Theory on Socioemotional Development during Adolescence01:17

Erikson's Theory on Socioemotional Development during Adolescence

1.0K
Erik Erikson's fifth stage of psychosocial development, "identity versus role confusion," is crucial during adolescence (ages 12 to 18). In this stage, adolescents face the developmental task of forging a distinct personal identity, a process influenced by social, psychological, and biological changes typical of this period. Adolescents naturally explore different roles, behaviors, and ideologies as they navigate complex questions of self-concept, asking, "Who am I?" and "What is my place in...
1.0K
The Second Law of Thermodynamics01:14

The Second Law of Thermodynamics

6.6K
In the quest to identify a property that may reliably predict the spontaneity of a process, a promising candidate has been identified: entropy. Scientists refer to the measure of randomness or disorder within a system as entropy. High entropy means high disorder and low energy. To better understand entropy, think of a student’s bedroom. If no energy or work were put into it, the room would quickly become messy. It would exist in a very disordered state, one of high entropy. Energy must be...
6.6K
Social Foundations of Self II: The Generalized Other01:20

Social Foundations of Self II: The Generalized Other

216
According to George Herbert Mead, as children progress beyond the game stage, they develop a more comprehensive understanding of societal rules and norms. This cognitive and social development enables them to internalize the expectations of the broader community, refining their ability to regulate behavior.Consistent participation in organized activities is crucial in helping children recognize that their actions are not isolated but contribute to a more significant, interconnected group...
216
Deindividuation00:57

Deindividuation

30.2K
Deindividuation is a form of social influence on an individual’s behavior such that the individual engages in unusual or non-normal behavior while in a group setting. Why? Because in these group settings, the individual no longer sees themselves as an individual anymore, disinhibiting their behavior and personal restraint.
30.2K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Sorting out and navigating uncertainty in precision medicine.

History and philosophy of the life sciences·2026
Same author

Evaluating the translational value of preclinical models: Available tools and frameworks, challenges and strategies.

Alternatives to laboratory animals : ATLA·2025
Same author

Mapping uncertainty in precision medicine: A systematic scoping review.

Journal of evaluation in clinical practice·2022
Same author

Pandemics, policy, and pluralism: A Feyerabend-inspired perspective on COVID-19.

Synthese·2022
Same author

Follow *the* science? On the marginal role of the social sciences in the COVID-19 pandemic.

European journal for philosophy of science·2021
Same author

Scientific inertia in animal-based research in biomedicine.

Studies in history and philosophy of science·2021
Same journal

Transferring ways of thinking and mathematizing: The statistical approach between physics and biology.

Studies in history and philosophy of science·2026
Same journal

The Dynamics of Quantum Gravity: The Missing Piece in the Spacetime Emergentist Account.

Studies in history and philosophy of science·2026
Same journal

A frame-based approach for reconstructing theories.

Studies in history and philosophy of science·2026
Same journal

Strategic ignorance, and the management of performative effects: Lessons from climate economics.

Studies in history and philosophy of science·2026
Same journal

Fictionalism and scientific realism: A response to ungrounded criticism.

Studies in history and philosophy of science·2026
Same journal

Is Emergy really a theory of value ?

Studies in history and philosophy of science·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 8, 2026

Experimental Research Examining How People Can Cope with Uncertainty Through Soft Haptic Sensations
09:07

Experimental Research Examining How People Can Cope with Uncertainty Through Soft Haptic Sensations

Published on: September 16, 2015

9.4K

Social emergence and unpredictability.

Simon Lohse1

  • 1Institute for Science in Society, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands; Centre for Ethics and Law in the Life Sciences, Leibniz University Hannover, Hannover, Germany; Research Associate at the Faculty of Humanities, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa.

Studies in History and Philosophy of Science
|December 19, 2025
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

This study examines arguments for social emergentism, finding that claims of unpredictability in social phenomena do not align with current social science practices. It clarifies unpredictability

Keywords:
Deterministic chaosEmergentismPhilosophy of social sciencePredictionReductionism

More Related Videos

Perspectives on Neuroscience
26:41

Perspectives on Neuroscience

Published on: July 31, 2007

5.3K
Virtual Hand with Ambiguous Movement between the Self and Other Origin: Sense of Ownership and 'Other-Produced' Agency
08:01

Virtual Hand with Ambiguous Movement between the Self and Other Origin: Sense of Ownership and 'Other-Produced' Agency

Published on: October 28, 2020

6.0K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jan 8, 2026

Experimental Research Examining How People Can Cope with Uncertainty Through Soft Haptic Sensations
09:07

Experimental Research Examining How People Can Cope with Uncertainty Through Soft Haptic Sensations

Published on: September 16, 2015

9.4K
Perspectives on Neuroscience
26:41

Perspectives on Neuroscience

Published on: July 31, 2007

5.3K
Virtual Hand with Ambiguous Movement between the Self and Other Origin: Sense of Ownership and 'Other-Produced' Agency
08:01

Virtual Hand with Ambiguous Movement between the Self and Other Origin: Sense of Ownership and 'Other-Produced' Agency

Published on: October 28, 2020

6.0K

Area of Science:

  • Philosophy of Social Science
  • Social Epistemology
  • Metaphysics of Social Phenomena

Background:

  • Social emergentism posits that social phenomena possess unique properties not reducible to individual components.
  • Unpredictability is often cited as a key characteristic supporting social emergentism.
  • The relationship between emergentism, unpredictability, and reductionism requires careful theoretical analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To critically analyze arguments for social emergentism grounded in unpredictability.
  • To evaluate the theoretical viability of weak emergentism against predictive reductionism.
  • To assess the practical relevance of strong emergentism claims in contemporary social science.

Main Methods:

  • Conceptual analysis of emergentism and unpredictability arguments.
  • Distinction between weak and strong emergentism.
  • Examination of contemporary social science practices and their implications for emergence theories.

Main Results:

  • Weak emergentism is deemed an inadequate counterpart to predictive reductionism.
  • Three arguments for strong social emergence based on in-principle unpredictability are analyzed.
  • None of the analyzed arguments for social emergence based on unpredictability are substantiated by current social science practice.

Conclusions:

  • A refined understanding of the premises underpinning emergentist claims of unpredictability is achieved.
  • The practical applicability of strong emergentism in social science, based on unpredictability, is found to be lacking.
  • The study contributes to the conceptual clarity of unpredictability and the potential for emergence theories in the social sciences.