Finding Meaning in Psychology 1

In this chapter, I explore several themes in connection with a selective review of some research problems I have pursued over the years. The study of meaning is a major theme along with issues relating to the goals of scientific psychology and the demands of research on applied problems. Finally, I ponder the role of psychology in the broader scientific endeavor, and I propose a candidate for the psychological level of analysis. Meaning One of my enduring interests revolves around the study of meaning. Our everyday perception of the world appears direct and meaningful. Our ordinary encounters with language occur largely in dealing with the meanings expressed by language. Although meaning flows naturally from living, finding a rigorous scientific account of this natural ability is a difficult undertaking. My own pursuit of meaning in psychology has followed the path taken by experimental psychology in the last half century. That path curved away from the strict behaviorism that dominated the first half of the 20 th Century toward a new found interest in mental processes and issues in cognitive psychology. Increased concern with applying scientific psychology has accompanied the empirical and theoretical developments. We have seen great strides in applying research in psychology to many practical problems, and the three honorees in this festschrift (Lyle Bourne, Jr., Walter Kintsch, and Tom Landauer) have made many valuable contributions to increasing our understanding of concepts, language comprehension, and complex semantics. The honorees have also been leaders in moving their research into applications. The participants in the festschrift have also contributed greatly to an enhanced understanding of cognition and the application of this knowledge. Now here comes my two-bits worth.