The "nature" of psychological objects, events, and concepts

pp. 77-99

in: Thomas Teo, Outline of theoretical psychology, Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan, 2018

Abstract

Because psychologists draw on ontological assumptions about the nature of psychological objects and concepts, the two-culture approach in psychology is introduced. Not only do objects and events possess certain ontic realities that necessitate particular epistemological or methodological practices, but language itself, used to describe, explain, and characterize objects and events, may contribute to the construction of psychological concepts. The scientific treatment forces psychologists to use linguistic tools, to generate terms that elucidate experiences, but concepts may also change our self-understandings. Social-constructionist ideas about the role of language in science, as well as models for representing human mental life, metaphors for understanding human subjectivity, and theories of the human mind are discussed. Examples are used to elucidate the social dimension of psychological language, the role of psychologization, and the possibility of critical interventions.