Person-Centered Studies in Psychology of Science

This unique collection examines "the acting person" as an important unit of analysis for science studies, using an integrative approach of in-depth case studies to explore the cognitive, social, cultural, and personal dimensions of a series of key figures in the sciences, from Goethe to Kepler to Rachel Carson. Opening up key questions about what science is, and what comprises a scientist, the volume offers an accessible introductory approach to psychology of science, a growing area in Science and Technology Studies (STS). Case studies focus on the psychological contexts of the contributions for which the scientist is known. Without diminishing its epistemic authority, science is presented as a psychologically saturated human activity, one that is especially illustrative of the way social, cognitive, and personal processes intermingle to both facilitate and impede scientific accomplishment. Each case study ends with a set of discussion questions, providing a valuable resource for student reflection and discussion, inviting analysis of similarities and differences in science in the context of very different lives and different projects. Person-Centered Studies in Psychology of Science is essential reading for scholars and graduates interested in the psychology of science, personality theory, social, or cognitive psychology, general psychologists, and theoretical psychologists.

Lisa M. Osbeck is Professor of Psychology at the University of West Georgia, Fellow of the American Psychological Association, and a past-president of the Society for General Psychology (APA Division 1). Stephen L. Antczak's academic publishing credits feature in the publications Qualitative Psychology, the Journal of Constructivist Psychology, and the Journal of Theoretical and Philosophical Psychology. Areas of interest include the communication of knowledge in science teams and the subjective experiences of working scientists.

Introduction: Person-centered Studies in Psychology of Science 1. Johannes Kepler - A Pragmaticist Priest of God at the Book of Nature 2. Goethe: A Person of Science 3. The Process of Mendeleev's Discovery: A Multidimensional, Relational Perspective 4. Henri Poincaré: The Poet of Mathematics and Physics 5. When the Mind Cannot be Trusted: The Lonely Genius of John Nash Jr. 6. An Interpretation of Franz Boas' Contributions to Anthropology and Scientific Anti-Racism: Merging a Psychology of Science with Anthropology and Feminist Theory to Discuss the Human Influence in Science 7. Rachel Carson: A Scientist of Life Itself 8. Science in the Mists: Dian Fossey 9. Commentary