The Simulation Theory and Explanations that ‘Make Sense of Behavior’
ABSTRACT: Underlying the current debate between simulation theory and theory theory is the assumption that folk psychological explanations of behavior are causal. Simulationists Martin Davies, Tony Stone, and Jane Heal claim that folk psychological explanations are explanations that make sense of another person by citing the thoughts important to the determination of his behavior on a given occasion. I argue that it is unlikely these explanations will be causal. Davis et al. base their claim on the assumption that a certain isomorphism obtains between the cognitive mechanisms of human beings. Investigation into the nature of the isomorphism required reveals that it is of a sort that is unlikely to obtain. I suggest that in order to maintain their challenge to theory theory, simulationists must either motivate and describe a non-causal simulation-based account of folk psychological explanation or else delineate a causal account that attributes a nonessential, heuristic role to simulation.
I. Introduction
Much interest has been raised recently in cognitive science and in the philosophy of mind by a debate that focuses on the nature of the cognitive mechanism that underlies our folk psychological practices. One side in this debate is represented by proponents of the reigning paradigm, the theory theory. Theory theorists say that our ability to give explanations, predictions and interpretations of intentional behavior is subserved by tacit knowledge of an internally-represented theory of commonsense psychology (Fodor 1987). The simulation theory challenges this view on the grounds that there is no evidence to support the suggestion that we have such know...
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To show, from A Closer Look At Puppy Mills, “To maximize profits, female dogs are bred at every opportunity with little to no recovery time between litters. When they are physically depleted to the point that they no longer can reproduce, breeding females are often killed” (ASPCA 4). According to, Caesar Milian and Melissa Peltier, animal experts, “lifespan of the breeding dogs is often cut in half.” To add on, the animals are in pens and cages that are not large enough for them. ( What is a Puppy Mill? 6). In the mills the puppies are overcrowded in small spaces. Puppies need the room to exercise and have to room to be comfortable. Moreover, “ In some cases, their matting and confinement are so extreme that their fur actually grows into the cage, pinning the dog in one spot.” Dogs can’t live just sitting in one spot. They do not have room to lie down, exercise, eat, etc. If the dogs even try to move, they can pull their fur out or cause pain. As well, the puppies are removed from their mothers when they are only about 7 weeks old. Then, ten or more puppies are crammed in a small cage to be transported causing the puppies to be scared and have many illnesses or conditions caused by neglect and stress (Puppy Mills, Pet Shops, and the AKC Basic Facts 6). When the puppies are 7 weeks old, they should be with their mother and their littermates. The puppies are still learning at 7 weeks old and they miss out. When they go home with their owners they could end up being nippy or not socializing
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The concept of ‘theory of mind’ is a complex one with various considerations. It can basically be defined as, ‘The ability to understand or ‘read’ the mind of another individual; the ability to ‘put oneself in the place of another’,’ (Smith and Stevens 2002). Essentially, ‘theory of mind’ is concerned with the ideal that a person can comprehend what another person in the same situation may be thinking, or the way in which they may be feeling, without the necessity for direct contact and communication to establish that information. The paramount dilemma for psychologists researching this area of evolutionary psychology, is the difficulty in ensuring that it genuinely is the mind of another individual that a person is responding to, rather than their overt behaviour, bearing in mind the impossibility of looking directly into another’s mind.
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...ve begins generating rumors for male peers who do not qualify as a stereotypical male. For instance, Olive pretends to have sex with a male peer during a popular house party (Gluck, 2010). This imaginary hook-up benefits the male peer’s bullying dilemma. Again, gender policing occurs between men when masculinity is questioned (Kimmel, 2008). “One survey found that most Americans boys would be rather be punched in the face than called gay” (Kimmel, 2000, p.77). The gender police govern Olive’s and the male peer’s status in social standings. America’s obsession with sex disregards if a girl truly sleeps around.
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