Errores de Razonamiento fundamentales en la psicología de la impersonalidad

James L. Lamiell; Naomi Lee

doi:10.5565/rev/qpsicologia.722

Fundamental Errors Of Reasoning In The Psychology Of Impersonality

Authors

James L. Lamiell Georgetown University
Naomi Lee University of Wisconsin - Madison

PDF (ES)

Abstract

In this article we raise the issue of whether research on individual differences contributes to personality theory. Conventional wisdom has long held that it does. In this article we defend the opposing view. We demonstrate that the fundamental and irreparable problem is that statistical knowledge produced through studies of individual differences variables produces knowledge about groups of organisms, not individual organisms. Our epistemological analysis has implications for three historically basic themes in classical nomotheticism: (a) the search for basic human tendencies, (b) the debate concerning the (in)consistency of personality, and (c) behavioral predication and the establishment of nomothetic ‘laws’ of personality functioning.

Keywords

Individual differences, Personality theory, Nomotheticism

Author Biographies

James L. Lamiell, Georgetown University

James T. Lamiell earned his Ph.D. at Kansas State University in 1976, and joined the Georgetown faculty in 1982. His scholarly interests are in the history and philosophy of psychology. His earlier empirical work focused on the psychology of subjective personality judgments, and he has also written extensively on methodological issues pertaining to personality research more generally. His 2003 book is a treatment of the concept of individuality in twentieth century scientific psychology, highlighting the historical contributions to the literature on this subject made by the German psychologist and philosopher William Stern (1871-1938). Professor Lamiell has three times been named a Fulbright Senior Scholar to Germany (Heidelberg, 1990; Leipzig, 1998; Hamburg, 2004). In Hamburg, Lamiell was also Ernst Cassirer Visiting Professor for one semester of the 2003-2004 academic year. His newest book, appearing in 2010, is based on a series of public lectures he gave in Hamburg, and offers a brief introduction to Stern's life and works.

Naomi Lee, University of Wisconsin - Madison

Dr. Naomi Lee successfully defended her dissertation, entitled Sustaining and challenging group-based inequalities: A meaning-centered approach on April 17, 2009. She is currently a Post-Doctoral Research fellow at the University of Wisconsin - Madison, where she is working as part of WIDA (World-class instructional design and assessment). Her work will focus on designing and conducting qualitative research on K-12 English-language learner education in 22 participating states, with the aim of promoting educational equity and achievement among English-language learners.