Scientific Introspection: A Method For Investigating the Mind

by William A. Adams

Overview

Scientific Introspection calls for psychologists to use introspection to investigate the mind. What researchers do now is study the brain, and behavior, then from that, try to guess what the mind must be like. But why guess? Remarkably, we happen to have the ability to look directly into the workings of our own minds: introspection. As far as we know, we are the only animal on the planet that can do that. It is foolish not to use this amazing gift.

Scientific Introspection reviews early efforts to use introspection, to see where they went wrong, and what they got right. The result is a new analysis of how introspection works, and a basis for studying the mind in a way that parallels the best principles of science and makes full use of our native ability to introspect.

Scientific Introspection is an adjunct to traditional cognitive psychology and cognitive neurophysiology. Thoughts weigh nothing; ideas take up no space. The only possible way to observe ideas is through introspection. Scientific Introspection can provide the missing piece of the equation so we can finally have a scientific understanding of the mind.

A unique feature of this book is a demonstration – a detailed description of applied Scientific Introspection. The dedicated reader can replicate the procedure and confirm or disconfirm the findings for himself or herself. The demonstration is designed to show how Scientific Introspection could be used as a shared investigative tool to eventually produce a body of consensus findings, as is done in science.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940012731944
Publisher:	Paperless Press
Publication date:	12/15/2010
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	963 KB

About the Author

William A. Adams is a cognitive psychologist, academic teacher and writer. His degrees are from Western Washington University and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He studied with James Gibson and Eleanor Gibson at Cornell University. He has taught psychology and statistics at the University of Wisconsin, the University of Maryland-University College, the College of Idaho, Chapman University, and Brandman University.

He also worked 20 years in the computer industry, with an interest in artificial intelligence, as a programmer and finally as head of information services for a national nonprofit corporation. After retiring, he returned to teaching psychology, both in-person and online.

Dr. Adams has published books and articles in cognitive psychology, perception, memory, and consciousness.