Mind Readings-1. What Is an Explanation of Behavior Herbert A. Simon

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1、1WhatIsan"Explanation"ofBehavior?HerbertA.SimonThecognitive((revolution))inpsychologyintroducedanewconceptofexplanationandsomewhatnovelmethodsofgatheringandinterpretingevidence.Theseinnovationsassumethatitisessentialtoexplaincomplexphenomenaatseverallevels)symbolicas

2、wellasphysiological;complementary)notcompetitive.Aswiththeothersciences)suchcomplementaritymakespossibleacomprehensiveandunifiedexperimentalpsychology.Contemporarycognitivepsychologyalsointroducedcomplementarityofanotherkind)drawingupon)anddrawingtogether)boththebehav

3、ioristandtheGestalttraditions.Iwouldliketobeginwithtwocommentsoncontemporarycogni-tivepsychology-onwherewestand.TheevidencesupportingtheseobservationsissooverwhelmingthatIwillnotboreyoubyrehears-ingit.Butwehavesomeconventional,customarywaysoftalkingaboutpsychologythat

4、flyinthefaceofwhatIthinkarethefacts,andIwouldliketodistancemyselffromthesewaysofspeaking,whichIbelieveareharmfultothecontinuedrapidprogressofourscience.Howoftenhaveyouheardthat"somedaywewillunderstandthemind,"orthat"thehumanbrainisagreatmysterythatwemustseektosolve"?I

5、nfact,psychologyexistsnotinthefuture,butinthepresent.Byanyreasonablemetric,weknowmoreaboutthehumanmindandbrainthangeophysicistsknowabouttheplatetectonicsthatmovethecontinentsovertheglobe,farmorethanparticlephysicistsknowaboutelementaryparticles,orbiologistsaboutthepro

6、cessesthattransformafertilizedeggintoacomplexmulticellularorganism.Wediscountourknowledgebecausesomeofitissocommon-place,sofamiliarfromoureverydayacquaintancewithourselvesandotherpeople.Wediscountitalsobecauseitoftenisinsufficienttopermitpredictionsofbehaviorinimporta

7、ntmattersthatconcernus.Theformerisagreatblessingtous,foritallowsustolearneasilyfactsofsortsthatotherscienceshavetoteaseoutwithgreateffort.The2Chapter1latterisatruelimitationthatwesharewithmeteorologists,evolu-tionarybiologists,andallthosephysicalorbiologicalscientists

8、whoventureoutsidethelaboratoryintothecomplexityofreal-worldphenomena.Hence,myfirstcomment:Intheyear1991,weknowagreatdealabou