The implications of the new brain sciences

Abi-Rached, Joelle M.

doi:10.1038/embor.2008.211

Cited by 34 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…The scientific and public profile of neuroscience has grown sharply in recent years, with neuroscientific concepts frequently invoked in popular media and public policy (O'Connor et al, ; Rose & Abi‐Rached, ). The prominence of neuroscience in popular culture has led some commentators to speculate that we are entering a ‘neuro‐society’ in which common‐sense notions of personhood and behaviour are being radically reconfigured in neuroscientific terms (Abi‐Rached, ; Lynch, ). However, empirical investigation of neuroscience's resonance in the day‐to‐day lives of ordinary people has failed to vindicate these propositions.…”

Section: An Empirical Example: Social Representations Of Neurosciencementioning

confidence: 99%

Embodiment and the Construction of Social Knowledge: Towards an Integration of Embodiment and Social Representations Theory

O’Connor

2016

J Theory Soc Behav

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Recent developments in the psychological and social sciences have seen a surge of attention to concepts of embodiment. The burgeoning field of embodied cognition, as well as the long‐standing tradition of phenomenological philosophy, offer valuable insights for theorising how people come to understand the world around them. However, the implications of human embodiment have been largely neglected by one of the key frameworks for conceptualising the development of social knowledge: Social Representations Theory. This article seeks to spark a dialogue between Social Representations Theory and embodiment research. It outlines the position the body occupies in the existing theoretical and empirical social representations literature, and argues that incorporating concepts gleaned from embodiment research may facilitate a more comprehensive account of the aetiology of social representations. The value of analytic attention to embodiment is illustrated with reference to a recent study of social representations of neuroscience, which suggested that embodied experience can shape the extent to which people engage with certain topics, the conditions under which they do so, and the conceptual and affective content of the ensuing representations. The article argues that expanding Social Representations Theory's methodological and conceptual toolkit, in order to illuminate the interplay between embodied experience and social communication in the development of common‐sense knowledge, promises productive directions for empirical and theoretical advancement.

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Section: An Empirical Example: Social Representations Of Neurosciencementioning

confidence: 99%

Embodiment and the Construction of Social Knowledge: Towards an Integration of Embodiment and Social Representations Theory

O’Connor

2016

J Theory Soc Behav

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“…In the course of the last two decades, mind and brain sciences (especially the latter) have attracted the interest of the general public, as well as of policy makers and educators. The appetite for neuroscience—termed “neurophilia”—has conspicuously grown during and after the “decade of the brain” (Abi‐Rached, 2008). Neurophilia reveals itself in the growing presence of brain images and neuroscience results reports in the newspapers (Racine, Bar Ilan, & Illes, 2006), in the proliferation of neuro‐labels for new research fields (Legrenzi, Umiltà, & Anderson, 2011), in the blossoming of projects, reports and studies on the social, economical, political, and educational implications of neuroscience (e.g., Brain Waves : Royal Society, 2011a, 2011b).…”

Section: Neurophiliamentioning

confidence: 99%

Neuromyths: Why Do They Exist and Persist?

Pasquinelli

2012

Mind Brain and Education

159

129

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ABSTRACT-Neuroeducation-a recent approach to educational policy-claims that a bridge should be established between education and mind-brain sciences, with the double aim of devising educational methods that work and of understanding why they work. The success of this encounter depends, among other conditions, on getting the science right; otherwise, neuroeducation and science-informed policies risk doing more harm than good. On several occasions, the cognitive and brain sciences have been misunderstood, and misused: neuromyths-the misconceptions about the mind and brain functioning-have blossomed, thus raising both theoretical and pragmatic concerns. This article addresses the origin, persistence, and potential side-effects of neuromyths in education. The hypothesis is put forward that the persistence of neuromyths is sustained by specific cultural conditions, such as the circulation of pieces of information about the brain and the appetite for brain news, but has its roots in deeper cognitive intuitions.

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“…This mindbrain reductionism enables support for "artificial" alteration of nonpathological cognitive and personality traits. 1 The vast majority of participants believed that the mind is more than just a product of the brain. Perhaps this nonreductionist perspective formed a basis for opposition to alteration of nonpathological states.…”

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confidence: 99%

Neurosurgeons' perspectives on psychosurgery and neuroenhancement: a qualitative study at one center

Mendelsohn¹,

Lipsman²,

Bernstein³

2010

JNS

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Object. Advances in the neurosciences are stirring debate regarding the ethical issues surrounding novel neurosurgical interventions. The application of deep brain stimulation (DBS) for treating refractory psychiatric disease, for instance, has introduced the prospect of altering disorders of mind and behavior and the potential for neuroenhancement. The attitudes of current and future providers of this technology and their position regarding its possible future applications are unknown. The authors sought to gauge the opinions of neurosurgical staff and trainees toward various uses of neuromodulation technology including psychosurgery and neuroenhancement.Methods. The authors conducted a qualitative study involving indepth interviews with 47 neurosurgery staff, trainees, and other neuroclinicians at a quaternary care center.Results. Several general themes emerged from the interviews. These included universal support for psychosurgery given adequate informed consent and rigorous scientific methodology, as well as a relative consensus regarding the priority given to patient autonomy and the preservation of personal identity. Participants' attitudes toward the future use of DBS and other means of neuromodulation for cognitive enhancement and personality alteration revealed less agreement, although most participants felt that alteration of nonpathological traits is objectionable.Conclusions. There is support in the neurosurgical community for the surgical management of refractory psychiatric disease. The use of neuromodulation for the alteration of nonpathological traits is morally and ethically dubious when it is out of sync with the values of society at large. Both DBS and neuromodulation will have farreaching and profound public health implications. (DOI: 10.3171/2010.5.JNS091896) key WorDs • enhancement • neuroethics • personal identity • psychosurgeryAbbreviations used in this paper: DBS = deep brain stimulation; GKS = Gamma Knife surgery; OCD = obsessivecompulsive disorder; PTSD = posttraumatic stress disorder.

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The implications of the new brain sciences

Abstract: The 'Decade of the Brain' is over but its effects are now becoming visible as neuropolitics and neuroethics, and in the emergence of neuroeconomies

Cited by 34 publications

References 22 publications

Embodiment and the Construction of Social Knowledge: Towards an Integration of Embodiment and Social Representations Theory

Embodiment and the Construction of Social Knowledge: Towards an Integration of Embodiment and Social Representations Theory

Neuromyths: Why Do They Exist and Persist?

Neurosurgeons' perspectives on psychosurgery and neuroenhancement: a qualitative study at one center

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