Project Title: Neurophsychology Project
Project Description and Background:
The neuropsychologist A. Damasio has recently suggested that the link
between reasoning and deliberation on the one hand and emotion on the
other is more intimate than has previously been thought. Specifically,
he argues that our ability to make decisions concerning future courses
of action is dependent upon our having positive affective or emotional
attitudes towards specific outcomes.
The proposed project has two parts. First, to determine whether there
is further evidence in support of this kind of claim in the
psychological literature: are there empirical grounds for thinking
that the traditional distinction between "Reason" and "Feeling" is
badly drawn, or even non-existent? A second aim of the project,
contingent on finding that the cognitive and affective aspects of our
minds are indeed closely interlinked, will be to write a paper
developing a preliminary model of how reason and feeling interact in
the decision-making process.
Literature References:
Saver, J.L. and Damasio, A.R., (1991), Preserved access and processing
of social knowledge in a patient with acquired sociopathy due to
ventromedial frontal damage, Neuropsychologia, 29 (12):1241-1249
Damasio, A.R. et. al. (1990), Individuals with sociopathic behavior
caused by frontal damage fail to respond autonomically to social
stimuli, Behavioural Brain Research, 41 (2):81-94
Requirements:
The sponsor requires that interested students meet the following
requirements: Student must have ability to use library indexes and
resources to prepare annotated bioliography of relevant empirical
materials. Some background in cognitive psychology or philosophy
helpful but not required for second part of project. Good writing
skills required.
This opportunity is for:
Caltech students only
Research Sponsor
Sponsor: Fiona Cowie
Division: HSS
Mail Code: 101-40
Phone: 3606
E-mail: cowie@hss.caltech.edu
For further information about the project, the student should contact: