Chaos theory investigates processes that initially seem so complex that they do not appear to be governed by any known principles; however, they actually have an underlying order that can be described mathematically. The application of chaos theory to human behavior and experience demonstrates an affinity with humanistic psychology that deserves attention, especially in such areas as creativity, health, and the sleep cycle.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Abraham, F. D.
(1989). Tbward a dynamical theory of the psyche. Psychological Perspectives, 20(1), 156-157.
2.
Abraham, F. D.
, Abraham, R., & Shaw, C. (1990). A visual introduction to dynamical systems theory for psychology. Santa Clara, CA: Aerial Press.
3.
Babloyantz, A.
(1987). Chaotic dynamics in brain activity. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 10, 174-174.
4.
Barton, S.
(1994). Chaos, self-organization, and psychology. American Psychologist, 49, 5-14.
5.
Basar, E.
(Ed.). (1990). Chaos in brain function. Berlin: Springer Verlag.
6.
Bevan, W.
(1991). Contemporary psychology: A tour inside the onion. American Psychologist, 46, 475-496.
7.
Blackmore, S.
(1990, April). Comments on chaos. Society for Psychical Research Newsletter, p. 14-14.
8.
Briggs, J.
, & Peat, F. D. (1989). Turbulent mirror. New York: Harper & Row.
9.
Buhler, C.
(1933). Human life as a psychological problem. Leipzig, Germany: S. Hirzel.
10.
Buhler, C.
, & Allen, M. (1972). An introduction to humanistic psychology. Monterey: Brooks/Cole.
11.
Collen, A.
(1990). Advancing human science. Saybrook Review, 8, 17-39.
12.
Combs, A.
(in press). The evolution of consciousness: A theory of historical and personal transformation. World Futures: The Journal of General Evolution.
13.
Crutchfield, J. P.
, Doyne, F., Packard, N. H., & Shaw, R. S. (1986, December). Chaos. Scientific American, pp. 46-57.
14.
Cziko, G. A.
(1989, April). Unpredictability and indeterminism in human behavior: Arguments and implications for educational research. Educational Researcher, pp. 17-25.
15.
Devaney, R. L.
(1986). An introduction to chaotic dynamical systems. Menlo Park, CA: Benjamin/Cummings.
16.
Fischer, P.
, & Smith, W. (Eds.). (1985). Chaos, fractals, and dynamics. New York: Dekker.
17.
Freeman, W. J.
(1991, February). The physiology of perception. Scientific American, pp. 78-85.
18.
Giorgi, A.
(1986). Status of qualitative research in the human sciences: A limited interdisciplinary and international perspective. Methods: A Journal for Human Science, 1, 29-62.
19.
Gleick, J.
(1987). Chaos. New York: Viking.
20.
Goerner, S. J.
(1991). The physics of evolution as a basis for understanding spirituality and evolutionary competence. Proceedings of the International Society of the Systems Sciences, 35thAnnual Meeting.Ostersund, Sweden: International Society of the Systems Sciences.
21.
Goldberger, A. L.
, Bhargava, V., West, B. J., & Mandell, A. J. (1985). On a mechanism of cardiac electrical stability. Biophysiology Journal, 48, 525-531.
22.
Goldberger, A. L.
, Rigney, D. R., & West, B. J. (1990, February). Chaos and fractals in human physiology. Scientific American, pp. 43-49.
23.
Grim, P, & Mar, G. (1991). Chaos, fractals, and the semantics of paradox (Research Rep. No. 91-01). Stony Brook: Group for Logic and Formal Semantics, State University of New York.
24.
Gutzwiller, M. C.
(1992, January). Quantum chaos. Scientific American, pp. 78-84.
25.
Hannah, T. E.
(1990). Does chaos theory have application to psychology? The example of daily mood fluctuations. Network, 8(whole number 3).
26.
Hobson, J. A.
(1988). The dreaming brain. New York: Basic Books.
27.
Kauffman, S. A.
(1991, August). Antichaos and adaptation. Scientific American, pp. 78-84.
28.
Kerr, R. A.
(1988). Pluto's orbital motion looks chaotic. Science, 240, 986-987.
29.
Kileen, P. R.
(1992). Mechanics of the animate. Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 57, 429-463.
30.
Krasner, S.
(Ed.). (1990). The ubiquity of chaos. Washington, DC: American Association for the Advancement of Science.
31.
Krippner, S.
, Ruttenber, A. J., Engelman, S. R., & Granger, D. L. (1985). Toward the application of general systems theory in humanistic psychology. Systems Research, 2, 105-115.
32.
Kugler, P. N.
, Shaw, R. E., Vincente, K. J., & Kinsella-Shaw, J. (1990). Inquiry into intentional systems I: Issues in ecological physics. Psychological Research, 52, 98-121.
33.
Kyriazis, M.
(1990, April). Comments on chaos. Society for Psychical Research Newsletter, p. 14-14.
34.
Langreth, R.
(1991). Engineering dogma give way to chaos. Science, 252, 776-778.
35.
Langs, M.
, & Badalamenti, A. (1991). Ibward a science of the mind. Social Dynamicist, 2(3), 1-3.
36.
Larousse, House of.
(1968). New Larousse encyclopedia of mythology (R. Aldington & D. Ames, Trans.). London: Hamlyn. (Original work published 1959).
Loye, D.
, & Eisler, R. (1987). Chaos and transformation: Implications of nonequilibrium theory for social science and society. Behavioral Science, 32, 53-65.
39.
Maar, M. J.
(1992). Behavior dynamics: One perspective. Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 57, 249-266.
40.
Mandelbrot, B.
(1977). The fractal geometry of nature. New York: W H. Freeman.
41.
May, J.
, & Groeder, M. (1989). Jungian thought and dynamical systems. Psychological Perspectives, 20(1), 142-155.
42.
Murphy, P. L.
, & Abraham, F. D. (1991, August). Feminist psychology and dynamical systems theory. Paper presented at the 2nd Annual Meeting of the Society for Chaos Theory in Psychology, Washington, DC.
43.
Paar, D. W.
(in press). Introducing confusion to create change. Psychotherapy Patient.
44.
Packard, N.
(1992, January). Interview. Omni, pp. 85-86, 88-88, 97-97.
45.
Perkel, D. H.
(1987). Chaos in brains: Fad or insight?Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 10, 180-181.
46.
Persinger, M. A.
, & Krippner, S. (1989). Dream ESP experiments and geomagnetic activity. Journal of the American Society for Psychical Research, 83, 101-116.
47.
Pool, R.
(1989a). Chaos theory: How big an advance?Science, 245, 26-28.
48.
Pool, R.
(1989b). Is it healthy to be chaotic?Science, 243, 604-607.
49.
Pool, R.
(1989c). Quantum chaos: Enigma wrapped in a mystery?Science, 243, 893-895.
50.
Pool, R.
(1990a). Fractal fracas. Science, 249, 363-364.
51.
Pool, R.
(1990b). Putting chaos to work. Science, 250, 626-628.
52.
Poppen, P. J.
, Wandersman, A., & Wandersman, L. P. (1976). What are humanism and behaviorism and what can they say to each other? In A. Wandersman, P. Poppen, & D. Ricks (Eds.), Humanism and behaviorism: Dialogue and growth (pp. 3-33). New York: Pergamon.
53.
Rychlak, J. F.
(1977). The psychology of rigorous humanism. New York: Wiley.
54.
Rossi, E. L.
(Ed.). (1989). Chaos, determinism, and free will. Psychological Perspectives, 20(1), 111-127.
55.
Schoner, G.
, & Kelso, J.A.S. (1988). Dynamic pattern generation in behavioral and neural systems. Science, 239, 1513-1520.
56.
Schwalbe, M. L.
(1990). The autogenesis of the self. Journal for the Theory of Social Behavior, 21, 269-295.
57.
Skarda, C.
, & Freeman, W. J. (1987). How brains make chaos in order to make sense of the world. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 10, 161-173.
58.
Smith, L.
, & Thelen, E. (in press). Applications of dynamical systems theory to human development. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
59.
Talbot, M.
(1991). The holographic universe. San Francisco: Harper Collins.
60.
Ibbin, S.
(1990). Self-psychology as a bridge between existential-humanistic psychology and psychoanalysis. Journal of Humanistic Psychology, 30, 14-63.
61.
Vandervert, L. R.
(1988). Systems thinking and a proposal for the neurological positivism. Systems Research, 5, 313-321.
62.
Vandervert, L. R.
(1990). Systems thinking and neurological positivism: Further elucidations and implications. Systems Research, 7, 1-17.
63.
Van Eenwyk, J. R.
(1991). Archetypes: The strange attractors of the psyche. Journal of Analytical Psychology, 36, 1-25.
64.
Westheimer, G.
(1991). Visual discrimination of fractal borders. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, Series B: Biological Sciences, 243(1308), 215-219.
