Functionalism is a philosophical theory (or family of theories) concerning the nature of mental states. According to functionalism psychological/cognitive states are essentially functional states of whole systems. 1

Mental functions: A short essay on Theoretical Psychology., 2023

Mental functions like Self, intelligence, attachment, conscience, dreams, are to be explained and not to be used as explanations. Beliefs don't guide people. People use, tweak and adapt beliefs to rationalize their behaviors. AI is nowhere near the track to producing agency because agency is a property of living beings. You're cleverer than AI, but "evolution is cleverer than you are." Keywords: Mental functions, psychology, Self, conscience, beliefs, dreams, attachment, agency, storytelling, brain, mind, AI, artificial intelligence, large language models, LLMs. 36 references, 34 pages.

Behavior & Philosophy, 2017

Mental (or psychological) phenomena (those we refer to by means of terms from so-called folk psychology; e.g., intentions, fears, reasoning processes) are often thought of as confined to the insides of the body. The extended mind view, like behavioral approaches, challenges this assumption, by claiming that some mental phenomena comprise external ingredients. Yet, unlike behavioral approaches, the extended mind view (e.g., as in Clark & Chalmers' seminal paper) holds that these phenomena often, or depending on the category of mental phenomena always, happen inside the body altogether (which is acknowledged by certain behavioral approaches) and as non-behavioral causes of behaviors (an idea in general rejected by behavioral approaches). This paper highlights what I think are shortcomings of the extended mind view, with a focus upon the functionalist version thereof–extended functionalism. I suggest that this approach misses some major features of psychological concepts, and that it overlooks some behaviors as constituents of mental phenomena. The paper also suggests that a behavioral alternative, based upon contributions by Ryle and Skinner, among others, retains the qualities of extended functionalism while warding off its shortcomings.

Accommodation The creation of new cognitive schemas when objects, experiences, or other information does not fit with existing schemas.

Encyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences, edited by V. Zeigler-Hill and T.K. Shackelford, Springer: Cham., 2020

Revista Brasileira de Terapia Comportamental e Cognitiva - 9(2), 73-85, 2007

The Behavior Analysis (BA) has benefited in the past and continues to benefit from a specific kind of operational interpretation of terms/expressions developed in other systems of Psychology and similar areas. The Skinnerian model of the operational interpretation of terms of other theories consists of the analysis of the context where theoreticians and researchers emit the analyzed terms/expressions. Therefore, these interpretations are analyses of the verbal behavior of psychologists. Several examples of this practice can be found in the work of Skinner and are recurrent in diverse periodics of the BA. In this article we argue the implications of these analyses in the survival of the BA as a cultural practice, for the conceptual, theoretical, and technological improvement of the BA and for teaching BA. Based on these analyses, it's suggested that the interpretation of terms of other theories should be considered an important research program and should receive greater attention from the behavior analyst.

International Journal of Politics, Culture and Society, 1991

French Studies In The Philosophy Of Science, 2009