Causal Inference in Cognitive Neuroscience: Implications for Psychiatry
In this paper we investigate to what extent it is justified to draw conclusions about causal relations between brain states and mental states from cognitive neuroscience studies. We first explain the views of two prominent proponents of the interventionist account of causation: Woodward and Baumgart...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2016-07-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychiatry |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fpsyt.2016.00129/full |
| _version_ | 1818298073091145728 |
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| author | Nadine Dijkstra Leon De Bruin |
| author_facet | Nadine Dijkstra Leon De Bruin |
| author_sort | Nadine Dijkstra |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In this paper we investigate to what extent it is justified to draw conclusions about causal relations between brain states and mental states from cognitive neuroscience studies. We first explain the views of two prominent proponents of the interventionist account of causation: Woodward and Baumgartner. We then discuss the implications of their views in the context of traditional cognitive neuroscience studies in which the effect of changes in mental state on changes in brain states is investigated. After this, we turn to brain stimulation studies in which brain states are manipulated to investigate the effects on mental states. We argue that, depending on whether one sides with Woodward or Baumgartner, it is possible to draw causal conclusions from both types of studies (Woodward) or from brain stimulation studies only (Baumgartner). We show what happens to these conclusions if we adopt different views of the relation between mental states and brain states. Finally, we discuss the implications of our findings for psychiatry and the treatment of psychiatric disorders. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-13T04:29:31Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-3b9c9b64ce8c4a2ba6b2e565b6fe9e01 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-0640 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-13T04:29:31Z |
| publishDate | 2016-07-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychiatry |
| spelling | doaj.art-3b9c9b64ce8c4a2ba6b2e565b6fe9e012022-12-21T23:59:35ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychiatry1664-06402016-07-01710.3389/fpsyt.2016.00129181314Causal Inference in Cognitive Neuroscience: Implications for PsychiatryNadine Dijkstra0Leon De Bruin1Radboud University NijmegenVU University AmsterdamIn this paper we investigate to what extent it is justified to draw conclusions about causal relations between brain states and mental states from cognitive neuroscience studies. We first explain the views of two prominent proponents of the interventionist account of causation: Woodward and Baumgartner. We then discuss the implications of their views in the context of traditional cognitive neuroscience studies in which the effect of changes in mental state on changes in brain states is investigated. After this, we turn to brain stimulation studies in which brain states are manipulated to investigate the effects on mental states. We argue that, depending on whether one sides with Woodward or Baumgartner, it is possible to draw causal conclusions from both types of studies (Woodward) or from brain stimulation studies only (Baumgartner). We show what happens to these conclusions if we adopt different views of the relation between mental states and brain states. Finally, we discuss the implications of our findings for psychiatry and the treatment of psychiatric disorders.http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fpsyt.2016.00129/fullPsychiatryCognitive neurosciencemental causationinterventionismCausal exclusion problem |
| spellingShingle | Nadine Dijkstra Leon De Bruin Causal Inference in Cognitive Neuroscience: Implications for Psychiatry Frontiers in Psychiatry Psychiatry Cognitive neuroscience mental causation interventionism Causal exclusion problem |
| title | Causal Inference in Cognitive Neuroscience: Implications for Psychiatry |
| title_full | Causal Inference in Cognitive Neuroscience: Implications for Psychiatry |
| title_fullStr | Causal Inference in Cognitive Neuroscience: Implications for Psychiatry |
| title_full_unstemmed | Causal Inference in Cognitive Neuroscience: Implications for Psychiatry |
| title_short | Causal Inference in Cognitive Neuroscience: Implications for Psychiatry |
| title_sort | causal inference in cognitive neuroscience implications for psychiatry |
| topic | Psychiatry Cognitive neuroscience mental causation interventionism Causal exclusion problem |
| url | http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fpsyt.2016.00129/full |
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