Transformation of Psychology: From Thinking/Thought to Metathinking/Metathought

Abstract

The prefix meta is popular in psychology as well as in other sciences oriented on the investigation of psychology. In the first case the usage is quite simple: every term is “the sum” of meta and usual psychological concept. In the second case, the situation is much more complicated. Sometimes, it is related to transition on a higher level of abstraction, from first-order to second-order investigations. Why is such a transition necessary and is it useful for scientific progress? The comparative analysis of the meta-approach to different sciences shows both specific peculiarities (reasons for application of the prefix, methods of manipulation and investigation, main objects of analysis, goals raised, and status of metaresearcher) and common features and regularities that may be discovered only in an interdisciplinary context. In this special section, we suggest a new way of application of meta-approach to psychology—in terms of metathinking. Our main idea is as follows: The wide circulation of meta-approach to psychology with necessity leads to serious changes in thinking of both researchers in the field of psychology and in sciences oriented on investigation of psychology.

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