Using the proper vocabulary

Abstract

This paper makes three points. First, inferences from biological and psychological evidence pertaining to psychological constructs must use distinct vocabularies because they represent different phases of a cascade of processes. Second, there are necessarily indeterminate relations between phases of the cascade that begins with an incentive evoking a brain state which, in turn, may generate a psychological reaction and/or action. Finally, all biological and psychological phenomena occur in particular species and specific contexts; hence it is useful to append to every conclusion information on the agent and the setting in which the evidence was gathered. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Dev Psychobiol 50: 4–8, 2008.