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2 - Doing Research on Purpose

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 February 2021

Richard S. Marken
Affiliation:
University of California, Los Angeles
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Summary

Research on purpose is aimed at identifying the perceptual variables that a system is controlling when it is carrying out various purposeful behaviors. The basic methodology used to do this kind of research is the test for controlled variable or TCV, which involves testing hypotheses about the perceptual variables the organism is controlling. These hypotheses are formal definitions of the perception under control. They are tested by looking for lack of an expected effect of disturbances to the hypothesized controlled variable. The TCV has to start with the formulation of hypotheses about the variables around which behavior is organized. The researcher has to be able to look at what an organism is doing and come up with definitions of the variables it is controlling – definitions that are precise enough so that it is possible to predict how disturbances would affect these variables if they were not being controlled.

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Chapter
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The Study of Living Control Systems
A Guide to Doing Research on Purpose
, pp. 18 - 34
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2021

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  • Doing Research on Purpose
  • Richard S. Marken, University of California, Los Angeles
  • Book: The Study of Living Control Systems
  • Online publication: 02 February 2021
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108752138.003
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  • Doing Research on Purpose
  • Richard S. Marken, University of California, Los Angeles
  • Book: The Study of Living Control Systems
  • Online publication: 02 February 2021
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108752138.003
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Doing Research on Purpose
  • Richard S. Marken, University of California, Los Angeles
  • Book: The Study of Living Control Systems
  • Online publication: 02 February 2021
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108752138.003
Available formats
×