%0 Journal Article
%T The Search for Cognitive Terminology: An Analysis of Comparative Psychology Journal Titles
%A Cynthia Whissell
%A Charles I. Abramson
%A Kelsey R. Barber
%J Behavioral Sciences
%D 2013
%I MDPI AG
%R 10.3390/bs3010133
%X This research examines the employment of cognitive or mentalist words in the titles of articles from three comparative psychology journals ( Journal of Comparative Psychology, International Journal of Comparative Psychology, Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Behavior Processes; 8,572 titles, >100,000 words). The Dictionary of Affect in Language, coupled with a word search of titles, was employed to demonstrate cognitive creep. The use of cognitive terminology increased over time (1940¨C2010) and the increase was especially notable in comparison to the use of behavioral words, highlighting a progressively cognitivist approach to comparative research. Problems associated with the use of cognitive terminology in this domain include a lack of operationalization and a lack of portability. There were stylistic differences among journals including an increased use of words rated as pleasant and concrete across years for Journal of Comparative Psychology, and a greater use of emotionally unpleasant and concrete words in Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Behavior Processes.
%K behaviorism
%K mentalist/cognitive terminology
%K titles
%K emotion
%U http://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/3/1/133