ABSTRACT
In this interview conducted by Agnes Szokolszky in 1997 Alan Costall recounts his theoretical concerns about the problem of dualism and his search for nondualistic psychology. He describes his shifts from physics and philosophy to mathematical psychology (at the Ph.D. level) but also his disappointment with the latter. He appreciates Gibsonian ideas and the promise of the ecological approach. He tells about the activities of the multidisciplinary network of ecologically oriented scholars in Britain in the 1970s and the writing of the book Cognitive Psychology in Question (in a later edition as Against Cognitivism: Alternative Foundations for Cognitive Psychology, both edited with Arthur Still). Pondering the state of ecological psychology in the 1990s he recalls the diverse, inspiring atmosphere of the early ecological conferences and finds contrast with the (then) present. He talks about his efforts to “rethink” ecological psychology in connection with nondualistic Darwinism and the social-cultural realm. In his current reflection, he elaborates on theoretical issues and evaluates the current state of ecological psychology. The chapter contains a short biography and a list of his ten most important publications.
