Rule-governed behavior as a psychological process

Examines rule-governed behavior from the vantage point of cognitive psychology. It is suggested that rule following replaces causal analysis as an explanatory device in psychology. Rules are defined, and their relations to formal languages, grammars, and abstract automata are discussed. The concept of "contingent rewrite rule" is introduced in order to suggest a formalism for explaining an organism's interaction with its environment. The metatheoretical position is related to some current investigations in cognitive psychology. (54 ref)