PSYCHOLOGICAL ASCRIPTION

In this paper an account of the semantics of psychological ascription in terms of sentential modeling is articulated and defended. It is sug gested that psychological ascriptions, both lay and scientific, are th eoretical descriptions, but denied that the semantics of psychological descriptions are determined by the causal explanatory propositions re lating observable stimuli, psychological states and observable behavio r in which they regularly figure-the 'theory-theory' account of the se mantics of psychological ascription favored by most contemporary psych ologists and philosophers. It is argued that the recognition of the al ternative account of the semantics of psychological ascription in term s of sentential modeling enables one to take a less 'theory-theory'-in formed look at the implications of recent research on 'self-perception ' and the 'child's theory of mind'.