Ghosts, taxonomies, and social psychology.

This article critically analyzes social psychology's assumption that psychological states can explain social behavior. On the basis of an analysis of the logic of classification systems, the author argues that there are no procedures available to independently verify the existence of these psychological states. As a consequence, explanations of social behavior are subject to continual challenge and replacement. Furthermore, it is argued that focusing on psychological states serves to inhibit the systematic study of societal changes (particularly changes in technology) that are affecting and shaping all aspects of human existence. This article describes an alternate paradigm that coordinates one dimension of societal events—technology—with changes in people's consciousness and subsequent behavior. A taxonomy of technology is described in the closing section of the article. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)