Unified Psychology Based on Three Laws of Information Integration

Abstract

How are multiple variables integrated into a unitary response? This fundamental problem— integration of multiple variables—faces every field of psychology. Solid support for three exact mathematical integration laws— averaging, adding, multiplying—has been given by extensive empirical work by investigators in many countries. These three integration laws operate in almost every area of human psychology: person science, social attitudes, child development, learning/memory, language, psychophysics, and judgment—decision. These laws have nomothetic generality across persons and cultures together with idiographic capability for true measurement of personal, individual value. These integration laws are thus a foundation, both conceptual and empirical, for unifying psychological science.