16 - On the Vices of Nominalization and the Virtues of Contextualizing

• Theme 1. Extensive evidence exists for context effects. Regardless of one's theoretical orientation, there can be no doubt that context effects are ubiquitous. When a phenomenon is studied carefully, it typically does not behave the same way across contexts. Regardless of ·, whether the phenomenon is genetic, neural, cognitive, behavioral, social, or cultural, it is likely to exhibit extensive sensitivity to context, as the . diverse chapters of this volume illustrate. • Theme 2. Taking context into account is more effective than ignoring it. When a mechanism is specified independently of context, it may capture some variance of the phenomena it explains. Nevertheless, taking context into account usually explains significantly more variance. When a mechanism contributes to a phenomenon, context shapes the expression of its contribution. • Theme 3. Mechanisms as dynamic, context-sensitive processes. As Barrett, Mesquita, and Smith (Chapter 1) document, lay individuals