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Pocket Knife Brain versus Meatloaf brain

Lisa Feldman Barrett, a distinguished professor at Northeastern University and the author of the novel “Seven and A Half Lessons about the Brain” who specializes in affective sciences. She uses a metaphor commonly known as the Pocket Knife Brain and the Meatloaf brain to develop a deeper argument to faculty psychology and associationism.  She interchangeably uses the pocket knife with faculty psychology to connect the two ideas together. She argues that every tool of the pocket knife has a specific purpose and cannot be used to facilitate the use of another tool. For instance, the knife and the mini scissors. Despite both of them being similar, both of these tools are ultimately used for completely different purposes as a knife cannot cut a paper in half like a scissor can. However, this is where the idea of associationism comes into play with the meatloaf brain, where all parts act in unison of each other.  This argument presents the theory that the mental processes are associated by whatever the person has previously associated it with.

For example, if someone were to say “summer”, one may associate it with hot, sunny, pool, relaxing, beach, drinks. It can only be done when there is a previous association with the word summer. Therefore, the meatloaf brain explains that since its structure is uniform then the use of different components is necessary just like if a person were to make a meatloaf, there isn’t just one type of meat in it. In addition, as Lisa argues in the book, a person who is originally coming from a Western background, the mind will have two features, thoughts and emotions. Having said that, according to her, these are two fundamentally different things. However, a person who is under the influence of Balinese culture, he might argue with the Western person that he does not think emotions and thoughts are different. From this person’s point of view, these two things are a single thing. This is an example in which explicitly demonstrates different basic features where ideologies clash. The way each person associates the features of the mind comes about in the upbringing of the person. The person from the West has formed an understanding that the mind has two distinct features whereas, the person from the Balinese culture understands it differently. A reason for this is due to associationism, the ability to associate one idea to a specific moment.

Associationism vs. Faculty Psychology

Similarities

Associationism is one of several psychological theories that use the associative thought model. The concept was a key component for the faculty psychology model proposed by Thomas Reid, Dugald Stewart, and Sir William Hamilton. Despite these parallels, associationism and faculty psychology were frequently pitted against one another in modern discussions of psychological or philosophical ideas.

Differences

So, what is the difference between associationism and faculty psychology if they both rely on the association of ideas? The key difference between the two models is if mental faculties were gained via experience, as associationists believe, or were innate to a certain extent.  Faculty psychology considers the mind as containing "original and natural" components. For example, the belief in the presence of God, or innate mental faculties that simply needed to be activated by experience. Associationism, on the other hand, appears to develop the individual totally out of experience.

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