Issue 4 Vol. 39 1997

Volitional action control and cognitive mechanisms: Possible reductions on the basis of intertheoretical links

GERJETS, P.

Psychological action theories describe the motivational and volitional processes that take place during the realization of intentions. In cognitive science theories, on the other hand, basic mechanisms of human information processing are analyzed at the level of production rules and network nodes for example. It is often assumed that these two classes of theories, which describe different aspects of human behavior, are not connected with each other because they differ not only in terminology but also in their typical domains of application (e.g. Herrmann, 1987).

In this paper the rubicon theory of action phases (Gollwitzer, 1991; Heckhausen, 1989) and the ACT-Theory (Anderson, 1983, 1993) are used to exemplarically investigate this topic. It is argued that actions and cognitive processes are merely analyzed on different levels of abstraction in both approaches. With the help of the structuralist method of intertheoretical links it is possible to precisely connect these levels. In order to achieve this an explication of the functions by which action theoretical concepts like intention, motivation or volition can be projected onto cognitive constructs like declarative network nodes and their strength and activation is necessary. Based on these (partially empirically testable) intertheoretical relations it is also possible to connect the lawlike assumptions of both theories and thus obtain explanations for action theoretical conjectures at the level of their cognitive realization by means of information processing.

Despite multiple possible realizations of rubicon laws at the ACT level and despite multiple possible interpretations of ACT systems at the level of the rubicon theory, it is justifiable to assume reductive relations, in the sense of the liberal philosophical conception of image-reduction, between the two theories. Intertheoretical image-reductions allow for the description of the cognitive foundations of action theoretical assumptions, but they do not lead to the elimination of the reduced theoretical assumptions. Despite their reductive relations action theories and theories of cognition can therefore coexist as theoretical perspectives of equal importance.

Keywords: rubicon theory of action phases, ACT theory, intertheoretical links, reduction, structuralism

Short Title: Gerjets, P. (1997) PsyBeit 4:441

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