Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

Unifying psychology: A European view

1990; Elsevier BV; Volume: 8; Issue: 3 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/0732-118x(94)90018-3

1873-3522

Adriaan D. De Groot,

Social Representations and Identity

In this article the vital importance of attempts at unifying psychology is emphasized, the obstacles are analyzed, and an initial strategy is proposed for the treatment of minor “schisms” as well as the primordial one between Krantz's “‘humanistic’ and ‘scientific’ systems of knowing.” The analysis leads to the conclusion that in a unified scientia of psychology—that is, science and humanities—defining can no longer be viewed as a largely discretional activity that is committed solely within the group of believers in a particular school of thought or theory. It follows that the two neglected arts of (1) designing theory-free, verbal, mantle definitions of broadly used concept terms, and (2) reaching general agreement on their meaning must be (re-) learned. The author contends that the tools are available, in part developed by himself. The crucial problem is that of how to raise a tangible motivation, and funding, for the required, pedestrain, concerted action.