Chapter 1 - Why We Must Rethink Psychology

Summary

It is essential that we rethink psychology. The rethinking that has taken place in the past has resulted in the decline of some schools of thought, such as behaviorism, and the rise of others, such as cognitive psychology. However, past rethinking has not solved two major flaws in mainstream psychology: reductionism and the wrong-headed exclusive adherence to causal accounts of behavior. Reduuctionism has resulted in a focus on isolated individuals and increasingly isolated brains and brain parts. Instead, the perspective of 'society to cells' is advocated, giving priority to macro processes and context. Second, it is argued that psychological science must be concerned with both causally determined and normatively regulated behavior. Although some human behavior is causally determined, much of behavior is regulated by cultural beliefs about what is 'correct' for particular individuals in particular contexts. Such normatively regulated behavior involves some level of intentionality. Psychology as the science of causal and normative behavior moves from contexts to individuals, from societies to cells.