Peter Marshall, Psychology

Explanation, Mechanism, and Development

Thursday, February 14
12:30–1:50 pm, CHAT Lounge

In some circles, explanations of human behavior and cognition – both normal and abnormal – are increasingly couched in biological terms. This turn to biology has met resistance from those who see advances in neuroscience and genetics as encouraging reductionism of an inappropriate kind. Between the extremes, a more nuanced position requires a careful consideration of the notions of explanation and mechanism as well as a focus on developmental processes and plasticity.