TY - JOUR
T1 - The four different modes of psychological explanation, and their proper evaluative schemas
AU - Gilead, Michael
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
Copyright © The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press.
PY - 2022/2/10
Y1 - 2022/2/10
N2 - I apply Benjamin's (1941) taxonomy of common scientific modes of explanation to the psychological context. I argue that: (i) in a naming mode, generalizability is not necessary; (ii) in an analysis, generalizability is desired; (iii) in a causal ontology, generalizability is merely one of the means to an end (theory-challenge); (iv) in a synthesis, generalizability is (eventually) critical. A better appreciation of the diversity in psychologists' modes of explanation is crucial for cogent meta-psychological discussions.
AB - I apply Benjamin's (1941) taxonomy of common scientific modes of explanation to the psychological context. I argue that: (i) in a naming mode, generalizability is not necessary; (ii) in an analysis, generalizability is desired; (iii) in a causal ontology, generalizability is merely one of the means to an end (theory-challenge); (iv) in a synthesis, generalizability is (eventually) critical. A better appreciation of the diversity in psychologists' modes of explanation is crucial for cogent meta-psychological discussions.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85124312590&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1017/S0140525X21000145
DO - 10.1017/S0140525X21000145
M3 - Review article
C2 - 35139941
AN - SCOPUS:85124312590
SN - 0140-525X
VL - 45
JO - Behavioral and Brain Sciences
JF - Behavioral and Brain Sciences
M1 - e17
ER -