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Evidence

Adult Research

National Science Foundation (2006)

  • 75% of adults endorse vitalistic causality

Wilson (2013)

  • 73 adults (mean age=32)
  • Vignettes of events
  • Three explanation: vitalistic, psychological and external
  • 33% chose vitalistic explanations
  • No explanations: 23% chose vitalistic explanations

Infant Research

Chiropractic

Inagaki and Hatano (1993):

  • 6-8 yr old children
  • "Why do we eat food everyday?"
  • Three explanations: intentional, mechanical and vitalistic
  • 54% chose vitalistic explanation

Miller and Bartsch (1997):

  • 2 explanations at a time: vitalistic, biological and psychological
  • 75% chose vitalistic explanations against psychological
  • Rooted in quasi-mystical concept of vitalism
  • Innate intelligence regulates body function
  • Spinal manipulations and mixers

Efficacy:

  • 90% of patients are self-referred
  • Assendelft et al. (2004): spinal manipulations are ineffective
  • Proctor et al., (2001): chiropractic treatment resulted in mild-moderate adverse effects for 50% of patients

The Distinction:

Mechanism: all human actions have a pure, physical explanation

Vitalism: A 'vital force', independent of the body, influences all human processes

Vitalism

Questions?

Does vitalism have merit?

References:

  • Addison, A. (2009). Jung, vitalism and ‘the psychoid’: an historical reconstruction, Journal of Analytical Psychology, 54, 123-142. doi: 0021-8774/2009/5401/123

  • Ernst, E. (2008). Chiropractic: A Critical Evaluation, Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 35, 544-562. doi: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2007.07.004

  • Gambarotto, A. (2014). Vital forces and organisation: Philosophy of nature and biology in Karl Friedrich Kielmeyer, History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical Science, 48, 12-20. doi: 10.1016/j.shpsc.2014.07.007

  • Morris, S., Taplin, J., & Gelman, S. (2000). Vitalism in Naïve Biological Thinking, Developmental Psychology, 36, 582-595. doi: 10.1037//0012-1649.36.5.582

  • Russ, R., Scherr, R., Hammer, D., Mikeska, J. (2008). Recognising Mechanistic Reasoning in Student Scientific Inquiry: A Framework for Discourse Analysis Developed From Philosophy of Science, Wiley InterScience, 24, 500-525. doi: 10.1002/sce.20264

  • Wheeler, R. (1943). Organismic vs. Mechanistic Logic, Psychological Review, 42, 335-353. Retrieved from: http://psycnet.apa.org/journals/rev/42/4/335/

  • Wilson, S. (2013). Vitalistic thinking in adults, British Journal of Psychology, 104, 512-524. doi: 10.1111/bjop.12004

History:

  • German roots- Göttingen School
  • Albrecht von Haller- father of the 'vital force'
  • Japanese roots- ki
  • Personification- attribution of agency and intentionality to internal organs
  • Reliance on transmission of 'vital force'
  • Swiss Roots- Carl Jung
  • Necessity of the 'vital principle' in explaining organic phenomena

Mechanism vs. vitalism

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