Peter Anthony White - Psychological metaphysics (International library of psychology)

Cover

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Psychological metaphysics

The research literature on causal attribution and social cognition generally consists of many fascinating but fragmented and superficial phenomena. These can only be understood as an organised whole by elucidating the fundamental psychological assumptions on which they depend. Psychological Metaphysics is an exploration of the most basic and important assumptions in the psychological construction of reality, with the aim of showing what they are, how they originate, and what they are there for.

Peter A.White proposes that people basically understand causation in terms of stable, specific powers of things operating to produce effects under suitable conditions. This underpins an analysis of peoples understanding of causal processes in the physical word and of human action, which makes a radical break with the Heiderian tradition.

Psychological Metaphysics suggests that causal attribution is in the service of the persons practical concerns and any interest in accuracy or understanding is subservient to this. A notion of regularity in the world is of no more than minor importance in causal attribution, and social cognition is not so much a matter of cognitive mechanisms or processes but more of cultural ways of thinking imposed upon tacit, unquestioned, universal assumptions.

Psychological Metaphysics incorporates not only research and theory in social cognition and developmental psychology, but also philosophy and the history of ideas. It will be challenging to everyone interested in how we try to understand the world.

Peter A.White is a Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Wales College of Cardiff.

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A Transformational Theory of Aesthetics

Michael Stephan

Inference and Understanding

A Philosophical and Psychological Perspective

K.I.Manktelow and D.E.Over

Selective Attention in Vision

A.H.C.van der Heijden

Classroom Non-Verbal Communication

Sean Neill

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Peter A.White

London and New York

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First published in 1993
by Routledge
11 New Fetter Lane, London EC4P 4EE

This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2003.

Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada
by Routledge
29 West 35th Street, New York, NY 10001

1993 Peter A.White

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted
or reproduced or utilized in any form or by any
electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or
hereafter invented, including photocopying and
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system, without permission in writing from the
publishers.

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
White, Peter A. (Peter Anthony), 1954
Psychological metaphysics/Peter A.White
p. cm.(International library of psychology)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
1. Social PerceptionPhilosophy. 2. MetaphysicsPsychological
aspects. 3. Knowledge, Sociology of. 4. Attribution (Psychology)
5. Concepts. I. Title. II. Series.
BF323.S63.W48 1993
150.1dc20 9224480
CIP

ISBN 0-203-41901-4 Master e-book ISBN

ISBN 0-203-30863-8 (OEB Format)

ISBN 0-415-08331-1 (Print Edition)

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