folk psychology
Common sense mentalism
Folk psychology is the everyday understanding of mental states—beliefs, desires, intentions, emotions—that people use to explain and predict behavior.
We all engage in folk psychology when we say things like She left because she was angry or He's saving money because he wants a new car.
The term is used in philosophy and cognitive science, sometimes neutrally to describe commonsense mental concepts, sometimes dismissively to suggest these intuitive notions may be scientifically naive or incomplete.
Perceiving others' thoughts directly
- theory of mindAttributing mental states to others
- mentalizingInferring others' mental states
- perspective-takingUnderstanding another's viewpoint
- intentionalityPurposeful action quality
Oversimplified beliefs about groups
- heuristicsPractical problem-solving shortcuts
- cognitive biasSystematic deviation from rationality
- preconceptionsOpinions formed beforehand
- assumptionsUnproven things taken as true
Comprehensive belief framework
- individualismDoctrine of personal independence
- collectivismGroup primacy doctrine
- traditional knowledgeCommunity wisdom across generations
Study of mental states
- functionalismTheory emphasizing purposes and roles
- cognitive scienceStudy of mental processes
- reductionismExplaining wholes through parts
- mental causationMind affecting physical events
qualia · naturalism · phenomenology · predictive model · dualism · materialism
mindreading
Perceiving others' thoughts directly
- theory of mindAttributing mental states to others
- mentalizingInferring others' mental states
- perspective-takingUnderstanding another's viewpoint
intentionality · simulation theory · empathy · cognitive empathy
stereotypes
Oversimplified beliefs about groups
- heuristicsPractical problem-solving shortcuts
- cognitive biasSystematic deviation from rationality
- preconceptionsOpinions formed beforehand
assumptions · oversimplification · misconceptions · conventional wisdom
worldview
Comprehensive belief framework
- individualismDoctrine of personal independence
- collectivismGroup primacy doctrine
- traditional knowledgeCommunity wisdom across generations
philosophy of mind
Study of mental states
- functionalismTheory emphasizing purposes and roles
- cognitive scienceStudy of mental processes
- reductionismExplaining wholes through parts
mental causation · qualia · naturalism · phenomenology · predictive model · dualism · materialism
- mentalizingtheory of mind, mindreading, mental states, mentalization, mind reading
- mindmind, thought, cognition, consciousness, thinking
- folk wisdomproverb, saying, proverbs, traditional lore, adage
- cultural psychologycultural norms, cultural values, cultural influences, cultural attitudes, enculturation
- folk taxonomylife forms, common names, ethnobotany, plant names, traditional knowledge
folk psychologycognitive science
Study of mental processes
neuroscience · clinical psychology · behavioral science · neuropsychology · psychophysics
folk psychologyscience
Systematic study through observation
knowledge · scientific knowledge · fact · reality · scientific consensus
folk, folklore, psychology, folksy, psychologist, folkloric, psychosomatic, folksong, folklorist