Abstract
Explanations from neuroscience are threatening to replace those from psychology in the eyes and hands of journalists, university administrators, granting agencies, and research students. If replacement happens, much of psychology will exist only as part of the historical record. It, thus, may be useful to understand what forms of explanation are used by the two fields. Such an understanding may help us explain how each field can contribute to the other and why they are different. I review several templates of psychological and neuroscientific explanation, and criticize some others. I argue that psychology (and neuroscience) should continue to exist. Neuroscience is not better than psychology, and it cannot replace psychology.
Highlights
Many people have recently been concerned, even alarmed, about the increased attention given to neuroscience in situations that would, in the past, call for psychology
My purpose here is not to cover all this ground but to reflect on what should count as explanations in psychology and neuroscience, putting in perspective the role of explanations from neuroscience
I have argued that psychology is a science with its own forms of explanation
Summary
Many people have recently been concerned, even alarmed, about the increased attention given to neuroscience in situations that would, in the past, call for psychology. These situations include accounts in news media, academic hiring in psychology departments (often renamed to reflect the new emphasis), allocation of funds by granting agencies, stated principles for diagnosis of (what used to be called) psychological disorders, and the law. Reduction to a lower level Several philosophers, perhaps beginning with Ryle (1949) and, more to the point, Fodor (1968), have argued that concepts relevant to psychology are no less real or scientific than those relevant to biology. The principles of physics are relevant to many aspects of games played with balls or pucks. Most of the top players probably do not bother studying the relevant physics at all ( maybe they should!).
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