Theory of Mind: Overcoming the Dichotomy Between Culture and Nature

Ruggero Andrisano Ruggieri

doi:10.5964/ejop.v11i4.1054

Abstract

Theory of Mind: Overcoming the Dichotomy Between Culture and Nature

Highlights

Confining this book to clinical psychology alone would be a grave mistake for both researchers and practitioners in psychology
Music (2011), addressing the issue of child development, paves the way towards a theory of the mind that integrates the different psychological approaches and schools. This integration takes shape through the study of: a) general psychology related to cognitive functions; b) clinical psychology related to the psychological laws as well as normal and pathological conditions; c) developmental psychology related to theories of attachment (Bowlby, 1988, 1969/1999) in relation to both mother and peers (Gorrese & Ruggieri, 2013); d) neuroscience research focused on mirror neurons (Iacoboni, 2009); e) social psychology and, last but not least, f) cultural psychology related to a systemic perspective where the context of relations plays a key role in the understanding of the laws of the functioning of the mind through meaning systems (Ruggieri & Rochira, 2013; Valsiner, 2012, 2013) based on experience (Rosa & Pievi, 2013)
There are numerous studies that support this theory, where the inter-subjective dimension of the mind is explored outside the Mind/Brain dichotomy and, for every biochemical process present in the changing body of the mother, there is a change in foetal behaviour as well as the relationship patterns established between mother and child

Summary

Introduction

In this book, Music (2011), addressing the issue of child development, paves the way towards a theory of the mind that integrates the different psychological approaches and schools.

Results

Conclusion