Folk psychology and network theory: Fact or gamble? A reply to Kalis and Borsboom

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (5) ◽  
pp. 729-734
Author(s):  
Freek Oude Maatman
Keyword(s):  
Network Theory ◽  
Folk Psychology ◽  
Psychological Explanation ◽  
Intentional Content ◽  
Predictive Success ◽  
Realist Interpretation

Kalis and Borsboom (2020) defend their realism about folk psychology against my challenge to provide a grounding argument for the correctness of folk psychological explanation (Oude Maatman, 2020). In this reply, I show how their clarified realism in fact vindicates this challenge, as it heavily relies on the predictive success of folk psychology. I then proceed by describing how their realist interpretation of “intentional content” complicates the usability of network theory, and show that both their antireductionism and realism are grounded in an empirical gamble against alternatives. I end with a brief defense of my own version of network theory.

scholarly journals Reformulating the network theory of mental disorders: Folk psychology as a factor, not a fact

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (5) ◽  
pp. 703-722 ◽  
Author(s):  
Freek Oude Maatman
Keyword(s):  
Mental Disorders ◽  
Network Theory ◽  
Folk Psychology ◽  
Explanatory Power ◽  
Intentional State ◽  
Biological Reduction ◽  
Causal Connections ◽  
Time Period ◽  
Realist Interpretation ◽  
Biological Reductionism

Borsboom et al. (2019) argue that the network theory of mental disorders, if correct, blocks the biological reduction of mental disorders. This is mainly argued through a partial reformulation of network theory which combines multiple realizability of symptoms with a realist interpretation of folk psychological explanations. In this article, I argue that (a) the latter is problematic and that (b) the combination of these arguments voids the previous predictive and explanatory power of network theory. I then present a novel way in which network theory could avoid biological reductionism by considering folk psychology not as a fact, but as a structuring cause of causal connections between intentional state symptoms, together with culture and time period. Drawing from this, a novel principle for network theory is proposed, which allows it to retain force against reductionism while also retaining predictive and explanatory power.

Habits and Explanation

1998 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Louis Caruana
Keyword(s):  
Folk Psychology ◽  
Behavior Pattern ◽  
Propositional Attitude ◽  
Propositional Attitudes ◽  
Mental States ◽  
Causal Chain ◽  
Psychological Explanation ◽  
Normal Human ◽  
The Many ◽  
Crucial Part

Habits form a crucial part of the everyday conceptual scheme used to explain normal human activity. However, they have been neglected in debates concerning folk-psychology which have concentrated on propositional attitudes such as beliefs. But propositional attitudes are just one of the many mental states. In this paper, I seek to expand the debate by considering mental states other than propositional attitudes. I conclude that the case for the autonomy and plausibility of the folk-psychological explanation is strengthened when one considers an example from the non-propositional-attitude mental states: habits. My main target is the radical eliminativist program. As regards habits, eliminativists could argue in two distinct but related ways. They can either abandon the concept "habit" altogether or retain the folk-psychological term "habit" by reducing it to the causal chain of the observed behavior pattern, as is sometimes done in social theory. I contend that both of these strategies are defective. The correct way to talk about habits is in terms of manifestations and activating conditions, not in terms of causal chains. Hence, if eliminativists take up either of the two arguments given above, they will not succeed. Correspondingly, by the added generality gained through the consideration of habits, the case for folk-psychology is strengthened.

STRUCTURING A SUCCESSFUL INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER PROCESS: A CASE STUDY FROM THE PERSPECTIVES OF ACTOR NETWORK THEORY

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Huda Ibrahim ◽  
Hasmiah Kasimin
Keyword(s):  
Information Technology ◽  
Technology Transfer ◽  
Transfer Process ◽  
Network Theory ◽  
Actor Network Theory ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Local Market ◽  
Private Company ◽  
Actor Network ◽  
Technology Transfer Process

An effi cient and effective information technology transfer from developed countries to Malaysia is an important issue as a prerequisite to support the ICT needs of the country to become not only a ICT user but also a ICT producer. One of the factors that infl uences successful information technology transfer is managing the process of how technology transfer occurs in one environment. It involves managing interaction between all parties concerned which requires an organized strategy and action toward accomplishing technology transfer objective in an integrated and effective mode. Using a conceptual framework based on the Actor Network Theory (ANT), this paper will analyse a successful information technology transfer process at a private company which is also a supplier of information technology (IT) products to the local market. This framework will explain how the company has come up with a successful technology transfer in a local environment. Our study shows that the company had given interest to its relationships with all the parties involved in the transfer process. The technology transfer programme and the strategy formulated take into account the characteristics of technology and all those involved.  

Avrupa’ya Türk göçü: Almanya örneği

2014 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-56
Author(s):  
Milan Palat
Keyword(s):  
Network Theory ◽  
Quantitative Methods ◽  
Positive Relationship ◽  
Time Lag ◽  
Theoretical Concept ◽  
Living Standards ◽  
The Other ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Effective Mechanism ◽  
The Eu

Bu çalışmanın amacı, Türkiye’den göç ve Almanya’nın ekonomik göstergeleri arasındaki ilişkiyi, nicel metot yöntemleri kullanarak değerlendirmektir. Türkiye’nin belirsiz Avrupa ile bütünleşme beklentilerine rağmen  Avrupa Birliğinin köklü üyelerine olan Türk göçü devam edecektir. Çok sayıda Türk azınlığın yaşadığı ve hayat standartlarının yüksek olduğu Almanya, Hollanda ve Fransa’ya  büyük bir göç dalgası gerçekleşebilir. Çalışmanın istatistiksel bölümünün sonuçları, toplam göç ile gayri safi yurtiçi hasıladaki büyüme arasında pozitif, toplam göç ile işsizlik arasındaki negatif ve tahmin edilen bağımlılık yönüyle uygunluk içerisinde olan toplam göç ile aylık gelir arasında pozitif ilişki olduğunu göstermektedir. Türkiye’den göçle işsizlik arasındaki ilişki, toplam göçle olan ilişkiden daha düşüktür. Ancak, Almanya’daki yabancı mevcudiyeti ile Türkiye’den göç arasında bir ilişki bulunmaktadır. Bu durum, var olan göçmen topluluğunun olduğu yerin, yeni göçmenleri, köken bağlarına dayanarak cezbetmesi ve maliyet- riskler sebebiyle göçün düşük seviye de olduğuna dayanan kuramsal Ağ teorisi görüşü ile uygunluk göstermektedir. Göç ve işsizlik arasında gözlenen ilişki, Almanya’ya göçün  işgücü piyasasında talepte meydana gelen değişime karşılık geldiği gerçeğini göstermektedir. İşsizlik ve göç olgularının meydana geliş zamanlarında bir aralık  olsa bile  göç, Alman emek pazarında var olan dengesizliklerin azaltılmasında nispeten etkili bir mekanizma gibi görünmektedir. ENGLISH TITLE & ABSTRACTTurkish Immigration to the European Union: The Case of GermanyThe objective of the paper was to evaluate the relationships between immigration from Turkey and economic indicators in Germany using  quantitative methods. Despite Turkey’s unclear European integration prospects, it is predicted that Turkish immigration to  established member countries of the EU will continue. The strongest waves may flow to Germany, Netherlands or France, where numerous Turkish minorities are already present and where the living standards are high. Results from the statistical analysis of the paper showed a positive correlation between immigration total and the growth of gross domestic product. On the other hand, a negative correlation of immigration total and unemployment was found and a positive relationship between immigration total and income total which is in agreement with the expected dependency direction. With regards to  immigration from Turkey it is less correlated to unemployment than immigration total. But there is a correlation between immigration from Turkey and the stock of foreigners in Germany This is in accordance with the theoretical concept of network theory where an existing community of migrants keeps attracting new migrants because the costs and risks associated with migration are lower, thanks to established linkages to the country of origin. The observed correlation of migration and unemployment points to the fact that immigration to Germany responds to changes in demand in the labour market. Even though a time lag may occur in the case of unemployment and immigration, migration appears to be a relatively effective mechanism to offset existing imbalances in German labour markets. 

The Action of Christian Buildings on their Chinese Environment

2017 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 100-121
Author(s):  
Michel Chambon
Keyword(s):  
Network Theory ◽  
Actor Network Theory ◽  
Active Part ◽  
Architectural Style ◽  
Actor Network

This article explores the ways in which Christians are building churches in contemporary Nanping, China. At first glance, their architectural style appears simply neo-Gothic, but these buildings indeed enact a rich web of significances that acts upon local Christians and beyond. Building on Actor-Network Theory and exploring the multiple ties in which they are embedded, I argue that these buildings are agents acting in their own right, which take an active part in the process of making the presence of the Christian God tangible.

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