What is the Mind-Brain Problem? Is the mind a part of the brain or an independent entity? This question has been an issue of disagreement for scientists and philosophers for several decades. Three separate groups including dualism, materialism (monism), and functionalism, each offer a unique position to the mind-brain problem (Brysbaert & Rastle, 2009). Each group attempts to determine what constitutes the self and makes each person their own individual with feelings, beliefs, and private experiences. The perspective of dualism presents the idea that the mind and body are separate and the soul is immortal and survives the death of the body (Brysbaert & Rastle, 2009). Dualists believe that consciousness controls our thinking allowing for
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Functionalism believes the mind and brain are connected but have a specific relationship depending on the nature of the information (Brysbaert & Rastle, 2009). This view accounts for individual differences and tries to interpret the mind and brain as working together to meet the needs of the person, such as eating if hungry. However, many still question if the mind-brain issue has been solved when the idea of qualia is brought up. Qualia are the feelings of conscious thoughts that are difficult to describe or characterize. In the functionalist view humans are closely related to computers with information processing that most important aspect, but qualia is hard to categorize and does not fall into this …show more content…
Zentner created his own vocabulary Geneva Emotional Music Scale (GEMS) with terms that would more often be used by writers than psychologists to describe musical experience. The vocabulary used in GEMS was analyzed and found to capture some of the features likely occurring in musical qualia, thereby being a possible way to linguistically describe qualia. However, this method is still quite new and many skeptics question its plausibility. Bargh, Gollwitzer, Lee-Chai, Barndollar, and Trotschel (2001) conducted five experiments to measure the link between nonconscious activation and the desire to pursue behavioral goals in two different word searching tasks using a priming manipulation. In the study, it was hypothesized that goals could be activated without individual awareness and be completed. Throughout the five experiments several priming techniques were used from word searches with a neutral or goal priming words or a scramble sentence test where participants created four word sentences in either a neutral or cooperative condition followed by a cooperative or goal-oriented task. The five experiments all supported the hypothesis of behavioral goals being activated with conscious acknowledgement. Additionally, these experiments provide evidence for the strength of a manipulation task and automatic goal pursuit.
Functionalism believes the mind and brain are connected but have a specific relationship depending on the nature of the information (Brysbaert & Rastle, 2009). This view accounts for individual differences and tries to interpret the mind and brain as working together to meet the needs of the person, such as eating if hungry. However, many still question if the mind-brain issue has been solved when the idea of qualia is brought up. Qualia are the feelings of conscious thoughts that are difficult to describe or characterize. In the functionalist view humans are closely related to computers with information processing that most important aspect, but qualia is hard to categorize and does not fall into this …show more content…
Zentner created his own vocabulary Geneva Emotional Music Scale (GEMS) with terms that would more often be used by writers than psychologists to describe musical experience. The vocabulary used in GEMS was analyzed and found to capture some of the features likely occurring in musical qualia, thereby being a possible way to linguistically describe qualia. However, this method is still quite new and many skeptics question its plausibility. Bargh, Gollwitzer, Lee-Chai, Barndollar, and Trotschel (2001) conducted five experiments to measure the link between nonconscious activation and the desire to pursue behavioral goals in two different word searching tasks using a priming manipulation. In the study, it was hypothesized that goals could be activated without individual awareness and be completed. Throughout the five experiments several priming techniques were used from word searches with a neutral or goal priming words or a scramble sentence test where participants created four word sentences in either a neutral or cooperative condition followed by a cooperative or goal-oriented task. The five experiments all supported the hypothesis of behavioral goals being activated with conscious acknowledgement. Additionally, these experiments provide evidence for the strength of a manipulation task and automatic goal pursuit.