Table Of ContentMultidisciplinary Perspectives
on Representational Pluralism
in Human Cognition
Bringing together diverse theoretical and empirical contributions
from the fields of social and cognitive psychology, philosophy and
science education, this volume explores representational pluralism as a
phenomenon characteristic of human cognition.
Building on these disciplines’ shared interest in understanding human
thought, perception and conceptual change, the volume illustrates how
representational plurality can be conducive to research and practice in
varied fields. Particular care is taken to emphasize points of convergence
and the value of sharing discourses, models, justifications and theories
of pluralism across disciplines. The editors give ample space for
philosophers, cognitive scientists and educators to explicate the history
and current status of representational pluralism in their own disciplines.
Using multiple forms of research from the relational perspective, this
volume will be of interest to students, scholars and researchers with an
interest in cognitive psychology, as well as educational psychology and
philosophy of science.
Michel Bélanger is Professor of Science Education, University of Québec
at Rimouski, Canada.
Patrice Potvin is Professor of Science Education, University of Québec at
Montréal, Canada.
Steven Horst is Professor of Philosophy at Wesleyan University, Middletown,
CT, USA.
Andrew Shtulman is Professor in the Departments of Psychology &
Cognitive Science, Occidental College, USA.
Eduardo F. Mortimer is Professor of Science Education, Federal University
of Minas Gerai, Brazil.
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Multidisciplinary Perspectives on Representational Pluralism in Human
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Tracing Points of Convergence in Psychology, Science Education, and
Philosophy of Science
Edited by Michel Bélanger, Patrice Potvin, Steven Horst, Andrew
Shtulman, and Eduardo F. Mortimer
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Multidisciplinary Perspectives
on Representational Pluralism
in Human Cognition
Tracing Points of Convergence in
Psychology, Science Education, and
Philosophy of Science
Edited by Michel Bélanger, Patrice
Potvin, Steven Horst, Andrew
Shtulman, and Eduardo F. Mortimer
First published 2023
by Routledge
605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10158
and by Routledge
4 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon, OX14 4RN
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an
informa business
© 2023 selection and editorial matter, Michel Bélanger, Patrice
Potvin, Steven Horst, Andrew Shtulman, and Eduardo F. Mortimer;
individual chapters, the contributors
The right of Michel Bélanger, Patrice Potvin, Steven Horst,
Andrew Shtulman, and Eduardo F. Mortimer to be identified
as the authors of the editorial material, and of the authors
for their individual chapters, has been asserted in accordance
with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents
Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted
or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic,
mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented,
including photocopying and recording, or in any information
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Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Bélanger, Michel, editor.
Title: Multidisciplinary perspectives on representational pluralism
in human cognition : tracing points of convergence in
psychology, science education, and philosophy of science /
edited by Michel Belanger, Patrice Potvin, Steven Horst,
Eduardo Fleury Mortimer, and Andrew Shtulman.
Description: 1 Edition. | New York, NY : Routledge, 2022. |
Series: Routledge research in psychology | Includes
bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2022004334 (print) | LCCN 2022004335
(ebook) | ISBN 9781032039589 (hardback) | ISBN
9781032039602 (paperback) | ISBN 9781003189930 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: Cognitive psychology. | Pluralism.
Classification: LCC BF201 .M85 2022 (print) | LCC BF201
(ebook) | DDC 153—dc23/eng/20220407
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022004334
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022004335
ISBN: 978-1-032-03958-9 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-032-03960-2 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-003-18993-0 (ebk)
DOI: 10.4324/9781003189930
Typeset in Sabon
by Apex CoVantage, LLC
Contents
List of figures vii
List of tables viii
List of contributors ix
SECTION 1 1
Introduction
1 Introduction to representational pluralism 3
MICHEL BÉLANGER, PATRICE POTVIN, STEVEN HORST,
EDUARDO F. MORTIMER AND ANDREW SHTULMAN
2 Bridging pluralisms 31
MICHEL BÉLANGER AND PATRICE POTVIN
SECTION 2 61
Psychology
3 Satisfying epistemic and existential needs:
Representational pluralism across scientific domains 63
JESSE D. PEREGRINO AND CRISTINE H. LEGARE
4 Computational modeling of representational pluralism
in explanations 81
SCOTT FRIEDMAN AND MICAH GOLDWATER
5 Representational pluralism in the service of learning:
The case of thought experiments 104
IGOR BASCANDZIEV
6 Navigating the conflict between science and intuition 122
ANDREW SHTULMAN
vi Contents
SECTION 3 141
Science education
7 From conceptual change to conceptual prevalence: What
the acknowledgment of representational plurality could
mean for science teaching 143
PATRICE POTVIN
8 Examining evidence for the effects and antecedents of
plurality in revising science misconceptions 163
GREGORY J. TREVORS, VERONICA FLEURY AND PANAYIOTA
KENDEOU
9 Heterogeneity and pluralism in science education from
the perspective of conceptual profiles 181
CHARBEL N. EL-HANI, EDENIA MARIA RIBEIRO DO AMARAL
AND EDUARDO F. MORTIMER
10 Unity in plurality: The emergence of pluralist expertise 201
MICHEL BÉLANGER
SECTION 4 221
Philosophy of science
11 More than one right answer: An introduction to the
varieties of pluralism 223
STEPHEN H. KELLERT
12 Rise and (impending) fall of physics fundamentalism 232
PAUL TELLER
13 Dissipation, integration and practical pluralism:
The case of cognitive science 250
RICK DALE AND PABLO ANDRÉS CONTRERAS KALLENS
14 Representational pluralism, realism and the prospects
of integration 270
STÉPHANIE RUPHY
15 Why pluralism? 284
STEVEN HORST
Index 302
Figures
1.1 An oak branching pattern 5
4.1 Model fragments for Illness, Blood Transmission of
disease and Witchcraft 87
4.2 Simulation results with identical causal knowledge with
priming variations 1 92
4.3 Simulation results with identical causal knowledge with
priming variations 2 93
4.4 Simulation results with identical causal knowledge with
priming variations 3 94
4.5 Simulation results with identical causal knowledge with
priming variations 4 95
7.1 Examples of incongruent, neutral and congruent stimuli 147
8.1 Clusters formed based on differences in beliefs in
hypothetical ASD risk factors 170
8.2 Average credibility rating by each cluster for each
therapy type 171
10.1 Lost unicity and strategies for recovering cohesion 207
12.1 James Watson and Francis Crick with their DNA model 234
12.2 A “simple gravity pendulum” model 235
13.1 Illustrations of theoretical integration 260
Tables
2.1 Examples of possible monist and monist assertions 45
8.1 Inventory of perceived risk factors for ASD 169
9.1 Zones of a conceptual profile of substance 190
13.1 Eight different theoretical traditions to studying various
aspects of cognition 258
Contributors
Amaral, Edenia Maria Ribeiro do
• Edenia Maria Ribeiro do Amaral is Professor at Federal Rural Univer-
sity of Pernambuco, Brazil. She develops research on conceptual pro-
files, relations among cognition, language and culture and implications
of these issues on processes of conceptualization, didactical design and
activity systems for critical and transformative science education.
Bascandziev, Igor
• Igor Bascandziev is Postdoctoral scholar at the Harvard Gradu-
ate School of Education. His research investigates the construction
of conceptual knowledge by specifying the learning mechanisms, the
cognitive resources and the social factors that shape the process of
conceptual construction.
Bélanger, Michel
• Michel Bélanger is Professor of Science and Technology Education at
Université du Québec à Rimouski (Canada). He specializes in the his-
tory and philosophy of science education research.
Contreras Kallens, Pablo Andrés
• Pablo Andrés Contreras Kallens is a PhD candidate at the Department
of Psychology, Cornell University.
Dale, Rick
• Rick Dale obtained a BA in Linguistics and PhD in Psychology, and
is now Professor of Communication at UCLA. His research is on the
cognitive science of language and communication. Specific expertise
includes the complexity and dynamics of real-time human communi-
cation and relevant theoretical debates in this area.
El-Hani, Charbel N.
• Charbel N. El-Hani is Full Professor of History and Philosophy of
Biology at the Institute of Biology, Federal University of Bahia, Brazil.
