Abstract
This article focuses on the “machine paradigm” in psychology and its consequences for (mis)understanding of human beings. It discusses causes of the mainstream epistemology in Western societies, referring to philosophical traditions, the prestige of some natural sciences and mathematical statistics. It emphasizes how the higher psychological functions develop dialectically from a biological basis and how the brain due to its plasticity changes with mental and physical activity. This makes a causal machine paradigm unfit to describe and explain human psychology and human development. Some concepts for an alternative paradigm are suggested.
Similar content being viewed by others
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Kolstad, A. Time for Paradigmatic Substitution in Psychology. What are the Alternatives?. Integr. psych. behav. 44, 58–64 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12124-010-9114-y
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12124-010-9114-y