«This study shows how the scientific analysis of choice behavior requires several methodological issues to be clarified. Above all, the meaning of theoretical terms is of the utmost relevance.»
«Theoretical concepts are formulated by isolating some fundamental predicates that identify the variables characterizing an experiment (independent, dependent, and constrained variables). It means that an experiment is determined by theoretical predicates, even when the latter have the minimum level of generalization.»
«A proper explanation of phenomena must rest on (a) the identification of experimental predicates exactly defined, (b) the determination of methodological criteria for introducing new predicates, and (c) the exact identification of the connections between predicates in terms of functional relation, which characterizes the scientific language at the syntactic level. If we were to pretend to introduce predicates such as “choice,” “maximization,” and “utility” into experimental language prescinding from the identification of the methodological criteria to connect these predicates to strictly defined preexisting experimental predicates, we would risk constructing a pseudo-explanatory (and therefore non-scientific) language or arbitrarily expand (always in pseudo-explanatory terms) a preexisting scientific language.» IT
(L’analisi scientifica del comportamento di scelta [The scientific analysis of choice behavior], III, p. 149; II, pp. 25, 10-11)
L’analisi scientifica del comportamento di scelta
[The scientific analysis of choice behavior]
[The scientific analysis of choice behavior]
- L’analisi scientifica del comportamento.
[The scientific analysis of behavior] - Il processo di discriminazione come processo di rinforzo.
[Discrimination as reinforcement process] - Il concetto di interesse. Interesse finale e interesse strumentale.
[The concept of interest. Final and instrumental interests] - Il concetto di intensità dell’interesse.
[The concept of interest intensity] - Esplicazione di alcuni esperimenti mediante il concetto di intensità dell’interesse.
[Explication of some experiments using the concept of interest intensity] - Scelta, utilità, massimizzazione, come concetti pseudo-esplicativi.
[Choice, utility, maximization as pseudo-explicative concepts] - La struttura del discorso scientifico: la relazione funzionale.
[The structure of scientific discourse: the functional relation] - La relazione funzionale nella psicologia.
[The functional relation in psychology] - La relazione funzionale nella fisica.
[The functional relation in physics] - Termini teorici e termini osservativi. I problemi della generalizzazione e dell’astrazione.
[Theoretical and observational terms. Generalization and abstraction issues] - Le variabili intermedie in psicologia.
[Intervening variables in psychology] - Il significato dei termini teorici nella fisica. L’esempio del campo elettromagnetico.
[The meaning of theoretical terms in physics. The example of the electromagnetic field] - Il livello dei predicati. Relazioni tra predicati di diverso livello.
[The level of predicates. Relations between different-level predicates] - La distinzione tra leggi sperimentali e teorie.
[The distinction between experimental laws and theories] - Le regole di corrispondenza.
[The correspondence rules] - Analisi critica del concetto di regola di corrispondenza.
[Critical examination of the concept of correspondence rule] - I postulati limitativi.
[The restrictive postulates]
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