The Psychology of Scientific Explanation
Article first published online: 13 APR 2007
DOI: 10.1111/j.1747-9991.2007.00081.x
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How to Cite
Trout, J. D. (2007), The Psychology of Scientific Explanation. Philosophy Compass, 2: 564–591. doi: 10.1111/j.1747-9991.2007.00081.x
Publication History
- Issue published online: 13 APR 2007
- Article first published online: 13 APR 2007
- Philosophy Compass 2/3 (2007): 564–591, 10.1111/j.1747-9991.2007.00081.x
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Abstract
Philosophers agree that scientific explanations aim to produce understanding, and that good ones succeed in this aim. But few seriously consider what understanding is, or what the cues are when we have it. If it is a psychological state or process, describing its specific nature is the job of psychological theorizing. This article examines the role of understanding in scientific explanation. It warns that the seductive, phenomenological sense of understanding is often, but mistakenly, viewed as a cue of genuine understanding. The article closes with a discussion of several new paths of research that tie the psychology of scientific explanation to cognate notions of learning, testimony, and understanding.