mentalism

n. a position that insists on the reality of explicitly mental phenomena, such as thinking and feeling. It holds that mental phenomena cannot be reduced to physical or physiological phenomena (see reductionism). The term is often used as a synonym for idealism, although some forms of mentalism may hold that mental events, although not reducible to physical substances, are nonetheless grounded in physical processes. Most modern cognitive theories are examples of this latter type of mentalism. Compare eliminativism; identity theory. See also conscious mentalism. —mentalist adj.

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Psychology term of the day

May 9th 2024

gender differences

typical differences between men and women that are specific to a particular culture and influenced by its attitudes and practices. Gender differences emerge in a variety of domains, such as careers, communication, and interpersonal relationships. See also sex differences.