Home About us Contact
|
Home About us Contact | ||
|
|
||
Human Mind (human + mind)
Selected AbstractsTaming the shadow: corporate responsibility in a Jungian contextCORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT, Issue 4 2008Tarja Ketola Abstract Rampant shadows undermine true corporate responsibility (CR) when companies try to keep up appearances by fair means or foul. This paper studies the thoughts, words and deeds of CR actors in their Jungian context. The aim is to help CR actors to understand different CR behaviour and to gain new insights into developing CR values, discourses and practices. This research builds on earlier psychological articles published in this journal, and digs deeper into the psychological resources of the human mind to show what vast potentials lie there to solve CR issues. Jungian theories open up the individual, organizational and societal personality and give opportunities to expand it horizontally and vertically. The Jungian prospective quality of the psyche is illustrated by three levels of unconscious , personal, cultural and collective, which can help the development of CR values, discourses and actions of individuals, organizations, societies and humankind. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [source] Personality profiles of cultures: Patterns of ethos,EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PERSONALITY, Issue 3 2009Robert R. McCrae Abstract Culture and the human mind are deeply interdependent, because they co-evolved. Personality traits were a preexisting feature of the primate mind and must have left an imprint on forms of culture. Trait taxonomies can structure ethnographies, by specifying institutions that reflect the operation of traits. Facets of ethos can be assessed by expert ratings or objective indicators. Ratings of ethos in Japan and the US were reliable and yielded plausible descriptions of culture. However, measures of ethos based on the analysis of stories were not meaningfully correlated with aggregate personality traits or national character stereotypes. Profiles of ethos may provide another axis that can be used with aggregate personality trait levels to predict behaviour and understand the operation of culture. Published in 2009 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] The information-processing approach to the human mind: Basics and beyondJOURNAL OF CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 4 2004Daniel David Cognitive psychology attempts to understand the nature of the human mind by using the information-processing approach. In this article, the fundamentals of the cognitive approach will be presented. It will be argued that the human mind can be described at three levels,computational, algorithmic,representational, and implementational,and that the cognitive approach has both important theoretical and practical/clinical implications. Finally, it will be suggested that the study of cognitive psychology can provide a foundation for other fields of social science, including the field of clinical psychology. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Psychol. [source] Francis bacon's behavioral psychologyJOURNAL OF THE HISTORY OF THE BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES, Issue 3 2007Paul S. Macdonald Francis Bacon offers two accounts of the nature and function of the human mind: one is a medical-physical account of the composition and operation of spirits specific to human beings, the other is a behavioral account of the character and activities of individual persons. The medical-physical account is a run-of-the-mill version of the late Renaissance model of elemental constituents and humoral temperaments. The other, less well-known, behavioral account represents an unusual position in early modern philosophy. This theory espouses a form of behavioral psychology according to which (a) supposed mental properties are "hidden forms" best described in dispositional terms, (b) the true character of an individual can be discovered in his observable behavior, and (c) an "informed" understanding of these properties permits the prediction and control of human behavior. Both of Bacon's theories of human nature fall under his general notion of systematic science: his medical-physical theory of vital spirits is theoretical natural philosophy and his behavioral theory of disposition and expression is operative natural philosophy. Because natural philosophy as a whole is "the inquiry of causes and the production of effects," knowledge of human nature falls under the same two-part definition. It is an inquisition of forms that pertains to the patterns of minute motions in the vital spirits and the production of effects that pertains both to the way these hidden motions produce behavioral effects and to the way in which a skillful agent is able to produce desired effects in other persons' behavior. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Virtual Reality and Interactive Simulation for Pain DistractionPAIN MEDICINE, Issue 2007Mark D. Wiederhold MD ABSTRACT Pain and discomfort are perceptible during many medical procedures. In the past, drugs have been the conventional means to alleviate pain, but in many instances, medications by themselves do not provide optimal results. Current advances are being made to control pain by integrating both the science of pain medications and the science of the human mind. Various psychological techniques, including distraction by virtual reality environments and the playing of video games, are being employed to treat pain. In virtual reality environments, an image is provided for the patient in a realistic, immersive manner devoid of distractions. This technology allows users to interact at many levels with the virtual environment, using many of their senses, and encourages them to become immersed in the virtual world they are experiencing. When immersion is high, much of the user's attention is focused on the virtual environment, leaving little attention left to focus on other things, such as pain. In this way virtual reality provides an effective medium for reproducing and/or enhancing the distractive qualities of guided imagery for the majority of the population who cannot visualize successfully. [source] Symbolic conceptions: the idea of the thirdTHE JOURNAL OF ANALYTICAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 5 2007Warren Colman Abstract:, The idea of the third which appears in Jung's concepts of the transcendent function and the coniunctio also occurs in several psychoanalytic theories concerning the emergence of reflective and symbolic thought in childhood development (defined here as the development of ,imaginal capacity'). Noting the way this process is often conceived in terms of the metaphor of sexual intercourse leading to ,conception', this paper suggests that such images need to be understood as symbolic conceptions of the meaning-making functions of the human mind. This leads to a different view of psychoanalytic theories that attempt to account for the development of imaginal capacity in terms of the Oedipus complex. It is suggested that a) these functions must be operative in the mind before the Oedipal situation can become meaningful and b) that psychoanalytic theories are themselves symbolic conceptions which, like mythological narratives, seek to communicate and comprehend psychic reality through imaginal forms. Translations of Abstract L'idée du tiers exprimée dans les concepts jungiens de fonction transcendante et de coniunctio est également présente dans plusieurs théories psychanalytiques traitant de l'émergence d'une pensée réflexive et symbolique chez l'enfant (ici définie comme le développement de sa ,capacité imaginale,). A partir du constat que ce processus apparaît souvent sous la forme métaphorique de l'acte sexuel menant à la ,conception,, cet article propose une compréhension de ces images en termes de conceptions symboliques des fonctions sémiotiques de l'esprit humain. Ceci nous amène à envisager différemment les théories psychanalytiques qui tentent de rendre compte du développement de la capacité imaginale en termes de complexe d',dipe. J'avance, d'une part, l'idée que ces fonctions doivent être opérationnelles dans le psychisme pour que la situation oedipienne puisse prendre tout son sens et, d'autre part, que les théories psychanalytiques sont elles-mêmes des conceptions symboliques qui, tout comme les récits mythologiques, visent à communiquer et à appréhender la réalité psychique à travers des formes imaginales. Die Idee des Dritten, die in Jungs Konzepten der transzendenten Funktion und der coniunctio entwickelt wird, gibt es auch in einigen psychoanalytischen Theorien, die sich mit der Entstehung des reflektiven und symbolischen Denkens in der Entwicklung des Kindes befassen (hier definiert als die Entwicklung der, imaginalen Kapazität'). Es wird beschrieben, wie der Weg dieses Prozesses oft in Form der Metapher vom Geschlechtsverkehr verstanden wird, der zur, Konzeption' (Empfängnis) führt. In dieser Arbeit wird die Ansicht vertreten, dass solche Vorstellungen als symbolische Konzeptionen der sinnstiftenden Funktionen des menschlichen Bewusstseins verstanden werden müssen. Dies führt zu einer anderen Sicht auf psychoanalytische Theorien, die versuchen, die Entwicklung der imaginalen Kapazität mithilfe des Ödipuskomplexes zu begründen. Es wird vorgeschlagen, dass a) diese Funktionen im Bewusstsein bereits wirksam sein müssen, bevor die ödipale Situation bedeutsam werden kann, und dass b) psychoanalytische Theorien an sich symbolische Konzeptionen sind, die, wie mythologische Narrative, versuchen, die psychische Realität durch imaginale Formen zu vermitteln und verstehen. L'idea del terzo che compare nei concetti junghiani di funzione trascendente e di coniunctio compare anche in molte teorie psicoanalitiche che riguardano l'emergere del pensiero simbolico e riflessivo nello sviluppo del bambino (definito qui come lo sviluppo delle ,capacità immaginali'). Considerando il modo in cui tale processo viene spesso concepito in termini di rapporti sessuali che conducono al ,concepimento', questo scritto propone che tali immagini debbano essere considerate come concezioni simboliche delle funzioni creatrici di significato della mente umana. Ciò porta a una diversa visione delle teorie psicoanalitiche che tentano di spiegare lo sviluppo della capacità immaginale in termini di complesso Edipico. Si ipotizza che a) tali funzioni siano operative nella mente prima che la situazione Edipica possa divenire significativa e che b) le teorie psicoanalitiche siano esse stesse concezioni simboliche che, quanto le narrazioni mitologiche, cercano di comunicare e comprendere la realtà psichica attraverso forme immaginali. La idea del tercero que surge del concepto de Jung sobre la Función trascendente y la coniunctio también aparece en varias teorías psicoanalíticas concernientes con la emergencia de los pensamientos simbólico y reflexivo en el desarrollo infantil (el cual es definido aquí cómo el desarrollo de ,la capacidad imaginal'). Apreciando la manera cómo frecuentemente es concebido en términos de la metáfora del acto sexual que conduce a la ,concepción', este trabajo sugiere que tales imágenes deben ser entendidas como concepciones simbólicas de la función de dar-sentido de la mente humana. Ello conduce a una visión diferente de las teorías psicoanalíticas que tratan de explicar el desarrollo de la capacidad imaginal sólo en términos del Complejo de Edipo. Se sugiere que a) estas funciones deben estar operativas en la mente antes de que la situación Edípica pueda ser significativa y b) que las teorías psicoanalíticas son en sí mismas concepciones simbólicas, que, cómo las narrativas mitológicas, buscan comunicar y comprender la realidad psíquica a través de formas imaginales. [source] Culture and the brain: Opportunities and obstaclesASIAN JOURNAL OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 2 2010Haotian Zhou A major evolutionary advance of humans is a mind that is capable of constructing, perpetuating, adapting to, and exploiting culture. The birth of cultural neuroscience reflects the growing realization that a full account of the human mind requires understanding of the multiple and reciprocal influences between the biological and the sociocultural. In the present paper, we illustrate how attention to the brain, as exemplified in functional magnetic resonance neuroimaging (fMRI) studies of sociocultural processes, contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of the human mind. We end by discussing a set of challenges facing researchers using fMRI and the possible means for dealing with these challenges. [source] Envisioning the future of cultural neuroscienceASIAN JOURNAL OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 2 2010Shinobu Kitayama In the present commentary, we first examine the three target articles included in the Asian Journal of Social Psychology special issue on cultural neuroscience. We spell out the contributions that the articles have offered to the field. We extend this examination with our own theoretical model of neuro-culture interaction, which proposes that brain connectivity changes as a function of each person's active, repeated engagement in culture's scripted behavioural patterns (i.e. practices). We then locate the current endeavour of cultural neuroscience within a broader framework, detailing empirical, theoretical, and meta-theoretical reasons why the approach of cultural neuroscience is important to both socio-behavioural and biological sciences. It is concluded that the scholarship demonstrated in the target articles will be an important collective asset for all of us who aspire to understand the human mind as fundamentally biocultural and to study it as such. [source] A philosophical reflection on the epistemology and methodology of indigenous psychologiesASIAN JOURNAL OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 1 2005Kwang-Kuo Hwang In order to answer the three crucial questions (why, what and how) about the development of indigenous psychology, three levels of breakthrough need to be made, namely, philosophical reflection, theoretical construction and empirical research. The controversial issues that have occurred in the earlier development of indigenous psychology are analyzed in terms of the switch in Western philosophy of science from positivism to post-positivism. Based on this analysis, it is argued that indigenous psychologists should construct formal theories illustrating the functioning of the human mind that may be applicable to various cultures, and then use these theories to study the particular mentalities of people in a given culture with the scientific methods of empirical research. [source] When brains expand: mind and the evolution of cortexACTA NEUROPSYCHIATRICA, Issue 3 2007Matthew T. K. Kirkcaldie Objective:, To critically examine the relationship between evolutionary and developmental influences on human neocortex and the properties of the conscious mind it creates. Methods:, Using PubMed searches and the bibliographies of several monographs, we selected 50 key works, which offer empirical support for a novel understanding of the organization of the neocortex. Results:, The cognitive gulf between humans and our closest primate relatives has usually been taken as evidence that our brains evolved crucial new mechanisms somehow conferring advanced capacities, particularly in association areas of the neocortex. In this overview of neocortical development and comparative brain morphometry, we propose an alternative view: that an increase in neocortical size, alone, could account for novel and powerful cognitive capabilities. Other than humans' very large brain in relation to the body weight, the morphometric relations between neocortex and all other brain regions show remarkably consistent exponential ratios across the range of primate species, including humans. For an increase in neocortical size to produce new abilities, the developmental mechanisms of neocortex would need to be able to generate an interarchy of functionally diverse cortical domains in the absence of explicit specification, and in this respect, the mammalian neocortex is unique: its relationship to the rest of the nervous system is unusually plastic, allowing great changes in cortical organization to occur in relatively short periods of evolution. The fact that even advanced abilities like self-recognition have arisen in species from different mammalian orders suggests that expansion of the neocortex quite naturally generates new levels of cognitive sophistication. Our cognitive and behavioural sophistication may, therefore, be attributable to these intrinsic mechanisms' ability to generate complex interarchies when the neocortex reaches a sufficient size. Conclusion:, Our analysis offers a parsimonious explanation for key properties of the human mind based on evolutionary influences and developmental processes. This view is perhaps surprising in its simplicity, but offers a fresh perspective on the evolutionary basis of mental complexity. [source] Space and Time in the Child's Mind: Evidence for a Cross-Dimensional AsymmetryCOGNITIVE SCIENCE - A MULTIDISCIPLINARY JOURNAL, Issue 3 2010Daniel Casasanto Abstract What is the relationship between space and time in the human mind? Studies in adults show an asymmetric relationship between mental representations of these basic dimensions of experience: Representations of time depend on space more than representations of space depend on time. Here we investigated the relationship between space and time in the developing mind. Native Greek-speaking children watched movies of two animals traveling along parallel paths for different distances or durations and judged the spatial and temporal aspects of these events (e.g., Which animal went for a longer distance, or a longer time?). Results showed a reliable cross-dimensional asymmetry. For the same stimuli, spatial information influenced temporal judgments more than temporal information influenced spatial judgments. This pattern was robust to variations in the age of the participants and the type of linguistic framing used to elicit responses. This finding demonstrates a continuity between space-time representations in children and adults, and informs theories of analog magnitude representation. [source] Life, information, entropy, and time: Vehicles for semantic inheritanceCOMPLEXITY, Issue 1 2007Antony R. Crofts Abstract Attempts to understand how information content can be included in an accounting of the energy flux of the biosphere have led to the conclusion that, in information transmission, one component, the semantic content, or "the meaning of the message," adds no thermodynamic burden over and above costs arising from coding, transmission and translation. In biology, semantic content has two major roles. For all life forms, the message of the genotype encoded in DNA specifies the phenotype, and hence the organism that is tested against the real world through the mechanisms of Darwinian evolution. For human beings, communication through language and similar abstractions provides an additional supra-phenotypic vehicle for semantic inheritance, which supports the cultural heritages around which civilizations revolve. The following three postulates provide the basis for discussion of a number of themes that demonstrate some important consequences. (i) Information transmission through either pathway has thermodynamic components associated with data storage and transmission. (ii) The semantic content adds no additional thermodynamic cost. (iii) For all semantic exchange, meaning is accessible only through translation and interpretation, and has a value only in context. (1) For both pathways of semantic inheritance, translational and copying machineries are imperfect. As a consequence both pathways are subject to mutation and to evolutionary pressure by selection. Recognition of semantic content as a common component allows an understanding of the relationship between genes and memes, and a reformulation of Universal Darwinism. (2) The emergent properties of life are dependent on a processing of semantic content. The translational steps allow amplification in complexity through combinatorial possibilities in space and time. Amplification depends on the increased potential for complexity opened by 3D interaction specificity of proteins, and on the selection of useful variants by evolution. The initial interpretational steps include protein synthesis, molecular recognition, and catalytic potential that facilitate structural and functional roles. Combinatorial possibilities are extended through interactions of increasing complexity in the temporal dimension. (3) All living things show a behavior that indicates awareness of time, or chronognosis. The ,4 billion years of biological evolution have given rise to forms with increasing sophistication in sensory adaptation. This has been linked to the development of an increasing chronognostic range, and an associated increase in combinatorial complexity. (4) Development of a modern human phenotype and the ability to communicate through language, led to the development of archival storage, and invention of the basic skills, institutions and mechanisms that allowed the evolution of modern civilizations. Combinatorial amplification at the supra-phenotypical level arose from the invention of syntax, grammar, numbers, and the subsequent developments of abstraction in writing, algorithms, etc. The translational machineries of the human mind, the "mutation" of ideas therein, and the "conversations" of our social intercourse, have allowed a limited set of symbolic descriptors to evolve into an exponentially expanding semantic heritage. (5) The three postulates above open interesting epistemological questions. An understanding of topics such dualism, the élan vital, the status of hypothesis in science, memetics, the nature of consciousness, the role of semantic processing in the survival of societies, and Popper's three worlds, require recognition of an insubstantial component. By recognizing a necessary linkage between semantic content and a physical machinery, we can bring these perennial problems into the framework of a realistic philosophy. It is suggested, following Popper, that the ,4 billion years of evolution of the biosphere represents an exploration of the nature of reality at the physicochemical level, which, together with the conscious extension of this exploration through science and culture, provides a firm epistemological underpinning for such a philosophy. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Complexity, 2007 [source] Adaptations for Nothing in ParticularJOURNAL FOR THE THEORY OF SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR, Issue 1 2004Simon J. Hampton An element of the contemporary dispute amongst evolution minded psychologists and social scientists hinges on the conception of mind as being adapted as opposed to adaptive. This dispute is not trivial. The possibility that human minds are both adapted and adaptive courtesy of selection pressures that were social in nature is of particular interest to a putative evolutionary social psychology. I suggest that the notion of an evolved psychological adaptation in social psychology can be retained only if it is accepted that this adaptation is for social interaction and has no rigidly fixed function and cannot be described in terms of algorithmic decision rules or fixed inferential procedures. What is held to be the reason for encephalisation in the Homo lineage and some of best atested ideas in social psychology offers license for such an approach. [source] | |||||||||||||