Intentional Behaviorism

"""No one discipline can solely account for the complexities that determine consumer choice. In his new book, Intentional Behaviorism: Philosophical Foundations of Economic Psychology, Gordon Foxall masterfully bridges the gap between different disciplinary subjects and schools of thoughts to offer a multidisciplinary perspective and philosophical analysis on the complexities of economic and social behaviour. Both comprehensive and illuminating, this book significantly advances the field and is essential reading for professionals in the area."" --Mirella Yani-de-Soriano, Reader, Cardiff University, UK. ""Gordon Foxall has been conducting an empirical research programme into consumer behavioural and economic psychology and consumer decision-making and choice for over three decades. In his current and most innovative approach to the psychological explanation of action, Foxall introduces the concept of Janus-variables as a means of linking extensional and intentional variables whilst maintaining their individual spheres of applicability: an ingenious device which will repay the serious attention of behavioral scientists and philosophers. He demonstrates a vast range of knowledge and successfully brings together a truly interdisciplinary piece of scholarship, employing admirable use of philosophical reasoning to proffer an explanation of economic behaviour and much more."" --Paul M. W. Hackett, Honorary Fellow, Department of Philosophy, University of Durham, Durham, UK and Professor of Ethnography, School of Communication, EMERSON COLLEGE, Boston, USA ""Gordon Foxall begins his carefully-argued and compelling work by observing that economic activity—""the allocation of limited resources among competing ends"" (p.7)—is applicable to all sorts of activity not typically considered economic. He notes that social, political, and even romantic behavior (and let’s add much non-human animal activity) can be usefully viewed within this broad economic perspective. And indeed ""useful"" is the operative word here as Foxall constructs a research framework for economic behavior that rests upon two philosophies of psychology that are conventionally deemed incompatible. But, Radical Behaviorism, Foxall holds, has not been superseded by Cognitivism (specifically Intentional Stance Cognitivism) in a Kuhnian paradigm war. Rather the clash between these two can be one of productive innovation—a scientific consilience, not a destructive competition. Employing just this interplay between these two mighty foundations, Foxall derives an original methodology for a branch of empirical behavioral science designed to render economic behavior more intelligible. This book is a worthy effort toward this unarguably important task."" --Linda A.W. Brakel, M.D., Associate Professor (Adjunct), Dept. of Psychiatry, University of Michigan ""Professor Foxall’s book on intentional behaviourism is ambitious; encouraging behaviourists and cognitivists to appreciate the philosophical standpoint of the other as a method for further advancement within economic psychology. One important exploration in this direction has been to detect both the strengths and limitations of mainstream behaviour analysis (or radical behaviourism as portrayed by Skinner and his followers) when it comes to complex behaviours that are under the influences of many contingencies which are not amenable to an experimental analysis. In this regard, Foxall has created intentional behaviourism; a critical interpretative device that gives the researcher several conceptual layers in dealing with the complexities of consumer choice ranging from the extensional to the intentional."" --Valdimar Sigurdsson, Professor, Centre for Research in Marketing & Consumer Psychology, Reykjavik University ""An impressive intellectual endeavor that explores the boundaries of behaviorism, social-cognitive psychology and neuroscience in the explanation of complex human behavior and proposes an integrative framework that explicates their unique contributions. The material is brilliantly written, carefully presenting the historical context, philosophical foundations and recent developments associated to each approach. A must read for any scholar in behavioral sciences."" --Jorge M. Oliveira-Castro, Professor, Instituto de Psicologia, Universidade de Brasília (UnB), Brazil ""If you are looking for an explanatory approach in economic psychology, this book is a definitive account. I am recommending this book because it is innovative and there is no other on the market that captures this attempt to describe modern economic behavior with philosophical depth. The reconciliation proposal between cognitive and behavioral approach is elegant. Chapter 8, when the author presents the intentional behaviorist research strategy describes in detail how to operate a research program with this aim. The three stages - theoretical minimalism, intentional interpretation, and cognitive interpretation - are well explained and are a revealing part of the book."" -- Rafael Barreiros Porto, Associate Professor in Management, University of Brasilia"