Abstract
This chapter focuses on how relationality shifts subjectivity and mental behavior in general. Consistent with this theme, it begins by summarizing the emerging synergy between the Unified Theory and John Vervaeke’s metatheory of cognitive process called recursive relevance realization. Vervaeke’s work complements and deepens Behavioral Investment Theory’s neurocognitive functionalism, and adds richness to the analysis of the emergence of conscious experience in the animal world. The chapter then introduces the fourth key idea in the Unified Theory, the Influence Matrix. The Matrix is a metatheoretical formulation that assimilates and integrates many key ideas in interpersonal and social psychology to map human social motivation and emotion. This chapter summarizes the Influence Matrix and shows how it aligns with recursive relevance realization in the relational world. The chapter ends with a review of Tomasello’s work on the implicit intersubjective “we” space that humans are able to generate. The conclusion is that the implicit intersubjective relational world is central to human mentation.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Ainsworth, M. S., & Bowlby, J. (1991). An ethological approach to personality development. American Psychologist, 46(4), 333–341. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.46.4.333
Delle Fave, A., Brdar, I., Wissing, M. P., Araujo, U., Castro Solano, A., Freire, T., & Soosai-Nathan, L. (2016). Lay definitions of happiness across nations: The primacy of inner harmony and relational connectedness. Frontiers in Psychology, 7, 30, 1–23.
Eagly, A. H., Nater, C., Miller, D. I., Kaufmann, M., & Sczesny, S. (2019). Gender Stereotypes Have Changed: A Cross-Temporal Meta-Analysis of U.S. Public Opinion Polls From 1946 to 2018. American Psychologist. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/amp0000494
Eagly, A. H., Nater, C., Miller, D. I., Kaufmann, M., & Sczesny, S. (2020). Gender stereotypes have changed: A cross-temporal meta-analysis of U.S. public opinion polls from 1946 to 2018. American Psychologist, 75(3), 301–315.
Forman, R. K. C. (1990). The problem of pure consciousness: Mysticism and philosophy. Oxford University Press.
Henriques, G. R. (2017, August 11). An in-depth analysis of the crisis at Google. [Blog] Theory of Knowledge on Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/theory-knowledge/201708/in-depth-analysis-the-crisis-google
Leary, M. R., & Baumeister, R. F. (2000). The nature and function of self-esteem: Sociometer theory. In Advances in experimental social psychology (Vol. 32, pp. 1–62). Academic Press.
Leary, T (1957). Interpersonal Diagnosis of Personality. New York: Ronald.
Neisser, U. (1967). Cognitive psychology. Appleton Press.
Pfaff, D. W. (2015). The altruistic brain: How we are naturally good. Oxford University Press.
Pylyshyn, Z. (2004). Some puzzling findings in multiple object tracking: I. Tracking without keeping track of object identities. Visual Cognition, 11(7), 801–822.
Ryff, C. D. (1989). Happiness is everything, or is it? Explorations on the meaning of psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 57, 1069–1081. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.57.6.1069
Safina, C. (2015). Beyond words: What animals think and feel. Henry Holt & Company.
Siegel, D. J. (2020). The developing mind: How relationships and the brain interact to shape who we are (3rd ed.). Guilford Publications.
Tomasello, M. (2019). Becoming human: A theory of ontogeny. Belknap Press.
Trivers, R. L. (1972). Parental investment and sexual selection. In B. Campbell (Ed.), Sexual selection and the descent of man, 1871–1971 (pp. 136–179). Aldine.
van Wolkenten, M., Brosnan, S. F., & de Waal, F. (2007). Inequity responses of monkeys modified by effort. PNAS, 104(47). https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0707182104
Vervaeke, J., & Henriques, G. R. (2020, September 4). Untangling the world knot of consciousness: Grappling with the hard problems of matter and mind. [Video]. The Cognitive Science Show. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bD6Szbf1cHo
Vervaeke, J., Henriques, G. R., & Hovhannisyan, G. (2022, April 2). Psyche-pathology and well-being. [Video]. The Cognitive Science Show. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-eHKAIi1cE
Vervaeke, J., Henriques, G. R., & Mastropietro, C. (2021, April 2). The elusive “I”: The nature and function of the self. [Video]. The Cognitive Science Show. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Fnmp6UVafM
Vervaeke, J., Henriques, G. R., & Stein, Z. (2021, August 27). Toward a metapsychology true to transformation [Video]. The Cognitive Science Show. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZKV8uVe8lQ
Vervaeke, J., Lillicrap, T., & Richards, B. (2009). Relevance realization and the emerging framework in cognitive science. Journal of Logic and Computation, 22(1), 79–99. https://doi.org/10.1093/logcom/exp067
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2022 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Henriques, G. (2022). Mind To Be and the Relational World. In: A New Synthesis for Solving the Problem of Psychology. Palgrave Studies in the Theory and History of Psychology. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-18493-2_14
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-18493-2_14
Published:
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-031-18492-5
Online ISBN: 978-3-031-18493-2
eBook Packages: Behavioral Science and PsychologyBehavioral Science and Psychology (R0)