Intentional Behaviorism

"No one discipline can solely account for the complexities that determine consumer choice. In his new book, Intentional Behaviorism: Philosophical Foundations of Economic Psychology, Gordon Foxall masterfully bridges the gap between different disciplinary subjects and schools of thoughts to offer a multidisciplinary perspective and philosophical analysis on the complexities of economic and social behaviour. Both comprehensive and illuminating, this book significantly advances the field and is essential reading for professionals in the area." --Mirella Yani-de-Soriano, Reader, Cardiff University, UK. "Gordon Foxall has been conducting an empirical research programme into consumer behavioural and economic psychology and consumer decision-making and choice for over three decades. In his current and most innovative approach to the psychological explanation of action, Foxall introduces the concept of Janus-variables as a means of linking extensional and intentional variables whilst maintaining their individual spheres of applicability: an ingenious device which will repay the serious attention of behavioral scientists and philosophers. He demonstrates a vast range of knowledge and successfully brings together a truly interdisciplinary piece of scholarship, employing admirable use of philosophical reasoning to proffer an explanation of economic behaviour and much more." --Paul M. W. Hackett, Honorary Fellow, Department of Philosophy, University of Durham, Durham, UK and Professor of Ethnography, School of Communication, EMERSON COLLEGE, Boston, USA "Gordon Foxall begins his carefully-argued and compelling work by observing that economic activity—"the allocation of limited resources among competing ends" (p.7)—is applicable to all sorts of activity not typically considered economic. He notes that social, political, and even romantic behavior (and let’s add much non-human animal activity) can be usefully viewed within this broad economic perspective. And indeed "useful" is the operative word here as Foxall constructs a research framework for economic behavior that rests upon two philosophies of psychology that are conventionally deemed incompatible. But, Radical Behaviorism, Foxall holds, has not been superseded by Cognitivism (specifically Intentional Stance Cognitivism) in a Kuhnian paradigm war. Rather the clash between these two can be one of productive innovation—a scientific consilience, not a destructive competition. Employing just this interplay between these two mighty foundations, Foxall derives an original methodology for a branch of empirical behavioral science designed to render economic behavior more intelligible. This book is a worthy effort toward this unarguably important task." --Linda A.W. Brakel, M.D., Associate Professor (Adjunct), Dept. of Psychiatry, University of Michigan