Publications [#254182] of Timothy J. Strauman

Journal Articles

1. Strauman, TJ (1991). Psychopathology and the Construction of Meaning: Comments on a Proposed Law of Cognitive Structure Activation. Psychological Inquiry, 2(2), 208-210. [doi]
   (last updated on 2024/04/19)

   Abstract:
   Although I may not agree with the specific thrust of the proposal, the spirit of the proposed law is entirely congruent with my own theoretical and research emphasis, and so I appreciate the opportunity to comment on the authors' assertions and evidence. These comments should be seen as concerned with the utility of positing a law of cognitive structure activation rather than as a criticism of a general knowledge-activation perspective. The authors have performed a valuable service by challenging investigators to address questions of knowledge activation in their research domains. Whether the principles they postulate will ultimately achieve the status of a law is essentially an empirical question; my view is that the lesson to be drawn from the proposal is that knowledge activation is one important process in determining behavior. Nonetheless, acknowledging that the construction of meaning is a central determinant of behavior, and that the activation of knowledge structures is an essential component of the meaning-construction process, will continue to benefit investigation of psychopathology, where it is clear that "nothing is good or bad but that thinking makes it so.".