Clearer Thinking with Spencer Greenberg A new paradigm for psychology research (with Slime Mold Time Mold)
34 snips
Sep 24, 2025 Guest
Slime Mold Time Mold (secondary guest speaker)
Guest
Slime Mold Time Mold (primary guest speaker)
In this engaging discussion, the Slime Mold Time Mold collective sheds light on their innovative cybernetic approach to psychology. They challenge conventional traits, insisting on identifying entities and rules for understanding behavior. Dive into how hunger and fear operate as internal governors, plus their fascinating research linking obesity and environmental factors like lithium. Expect to learn how emotions fit into this paradigm, why the Big Five might mislead, and the future directions for a richer, more mechanistic psychology.
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Entities And Rules Matter
- A mature psychological paradigm needs concrete entities, properties, and rules rather than vague abstractions.
- Naming building blocks and interactions lets psychology become mechanical and testable.
Psychology As Cybernetic Control
- Cybernetics frames many psychological processes as control systems managing set points and error signals.
- This perspective generalizes from biological regulation (weight, salt) to social and emotional processes.
Obesity Set‑Point Example
- Slime Mold Time Mold studied obesity via a set‑point model and environmental contaminants.
- They propose lithium as a plausible contaminant raising defended body‑weight set points.
