Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-l7hp2 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-29T13:02:55.589Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Reductionism – simplified and scientific

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 March 2019

Leonid Perlovsky*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115. [email protected]/

Abstract

In this commentary on Borsboom et al.’s target article, I address an inadequate, simplified use of the idea of “reductionism” in clinical psychology and psychiatry. This is important because reductionism is a fundamental methodology of science. Explaining mental states and processes in terms of biological and brain states and processes is fundamental for the science of psychology. I also briefly address a fundamental methodology of the goal of psychology as a hard science.

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2019 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Adam, D. (2013) Mental health: On the spectrum. [Editorial]. Nature 496:416–18.Google Scholar
Perlovsky, L. I. (2006) Toward physics of the mind: Concepts, emotions, consciousness, and symbols. Physics of Life Reviews 3(1):2255.Google Scholar
Perlovsky, L. I. (2010a) Intersections of mathematical, cognitive, and aesthetic theories of mind. Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts 4(1):1117. doi:10.1037/a0018147.Google Scholar
Perlovsky, L. I. (2010b) Musical emotions: Functions, origin, evolution. Physics of Life Reviews 7(1):227.Google Scholar
Perlovsky, L. I. (2016) Physics of the mind. Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience 10: article 84. [Online publication: 15 November 2016]. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3389/fnsys.2016.00084; and at: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnsys.2016.00084/full.Google Scholar
Perlovsky, L. I. (2017a) Music: Passions and cognitive functions. Academic Press.Google Scholar
Perlovsky, L. I. (2017b) Physics of the mind, dynamic logic, and monotone Boolean functions. In: Uncertainty modeling, ed. Kreinovich, V., pp. 193231. Springer.Google Scholar
Schoeller, F., Perlovsky, L. I. & Arseniev, D. (2018) Physics of the mind: Experimental confirmations of theoretical predictions. Physics of Life Reviews 25:4568.Google Scholar