From Fuzzy Logic Toward Plurimonism: The Science of Active and Empathic Observation

Abstract

Plurimonism is a new philosophy and method of science. It holds that the revolution in computer science and artificial intelligence has reached the point that all the sciences in general can now account for the complex relations of an irreducible plurality of unique observers engaged in describing the same event. Plurimonism seeks to describe the conscious and unconscious relations of the scientific observer during the act of observation of a given event while preserving the historical uniqueness and indivisible identity of each such observer. Using the framework of plurimonism, we mathematically formulate the problem of empathy. This self-reflective mathematical model entails four components of the empathic process involving two observers. They are: 1) the self; 2) the self's-other; 3) the other; and 4) the other's-self. It measures the degree of accuracy of the therapist-observer's empathy, as well as conscious and unconscious processes involved in the patient-observer's idealization and the therapist-observer's confidence in clinical psychotherapy. Ratings are obtained from both patient and therapist from four different points of view. The plural views of the patient's global assessment of functioning (GAF) are from: 1) the therapist's view (TGAF); 2) the patient's view (PGAF); 3) the therapist empathic view (TEGAF), which represents the therapist's estimate of PGAF; and 4) the patient's empathic estimate of the TGAF. The GAF scale is the standard dimensional 100-point-scale measure used in psychiatry for recording a patient's functioning. The patient's estimate of the therapist's degree of accuracy as well as the therapist's confidence in his or her empathic accuracy is also represented. Three formulae are presented that describe the degree of the therapist's empathic accuracy, the patient's over-idealization/under-idealization, and the therapist's over-confidence/under-confidence. The concept of empathy is here restricted to mean the degree to which one observer can take the point of view of another observer when both are observing the same thing.

A randomized controlled trial of a feedback method for improving empathic accuracy in psychotherapy

“…This lapse in empathic accuracy would have been undetected if not for the feedback intervention (cf. Sripada, Jobe, & Helgason, 2005).…”

Collecting Information for Rating Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF): Sources of Information and Methods for Information Collection

“…The focus can be on real-life skills, but validity can be a problem [ 43 ]. Although informants can give information based on observation in the real-life situation, the evaluations can be subjective [ 43 , 156 ]. Patients’ behaviour can be determined by situational factors [ 43 , 53 ].…”

Fuzzy Logic in Medicine

“…Artificial intelligence and fuzzy systems have provided the opportunity to study what has traditionally fallen into the realms of philosophy and psychiatry. Sripada, Jobe, and Helgason (2005) have devised a fuzzy logic model of empathy. The ability to model complex systems may one day suggest treatments for diseases that currently have no therapies.…”