Mindscapes and Science Theories [and Comments and Reply]

Abstract

Four causal metatypes in science theories correspond to four cognitive/cogitative/perceptual types which vary from individual to individual. In any given culture, all individual types exist, but their percentage distribution varies from culture to culture. The four metatypes are (1) nonreciprocal causality (either probabilistic or deterministic), (2) independent events as most basic, (3) reciprocal causal loops, change-counteracting (either probabilistic or deterministic), (4) reciprocal causal loops, change-amplifying (either probabilistic or deterministic). They correspond to the following cognitive/cogitative/perceptual types: (1) H mindscapes: homogenistic, hierarchical, classificational; (2) I mindscapes: heterogenistic, individualistic, random; (3) S mindscapes: heterogenistic, interactive, homeostatic; (4) G mindscapes: heterogenistic, interactive, morphogenetic. Available data on cross-cultural migrants indicate that some aspects of mindscapes are formed in childhood and become irreversible at the age of around ten. A person with one mindscape type may "learn" to "understand," by some intellectual process, a theory conceptualized in other mindscapes, but the results of such attempts tend to be highly distorted or psychologically artificial. Examples of successes and failures in overcoming mindscape barriers among scientists are given.