The crucial role of nomothetic and idiographic conceptions of time: Interdisciplinary collaboration in nuclear waste management

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Autor:innen
Stauffacher, Michael
Krütli, Pius
Scholz, Roland W.
Autor:in (Körperschaft)
Publikationsdatum
2012
Typ der Arbeit
Studiengang
Typ
01A - Beitrag in wissenschaftlicher Zeitschrift
Herausgeber:innen
Herausgeber:in (Körperschaft)
Betreuer:in
Übergeordnetes Werk
Risk Analysis
Themenheft
Link
Reihe / Serie
Reihennummer
Jahrgang / Band
32
Ausgabe / Nummer
1
Seiten / Dauer
138-154
Patentnummer
Verlag / Herausgebende Institution
Wiley
Verlagsort / Veranstaltungsort
Auflage
Version
Programmiersprache
Abtretungsempfänger:in
Praxispartner:in/Auftraggeber:in
Zusammenfassung
The disposal of nuclear waste involves extensive time scales. Technical experts consider up to 1 million years for the disposal of spent fuel and high‐level waste in their safety assessment. Yet nuclear waste is not only a technical but also a so‐called sociotechnical problem and, therefore, requires interdisciplinary collaboration between technical, natural, social sciences, and the humanities in its management. Given that these disciplines differ in their language, epistemics, and interests, such collaboration might be problematic. Based on evidence from cognitive psychology, we suggest that, in particular, a concept like time is presumably critical and can be understood differently. This study explores how different scientific disciplines understand extensive time scales in general and then focuses on nuclear waste. Eighteen qualitative exploratory interviews were conducted with experts for time‐related phenomena of different disciplines, among them experts working in nuclear waste management. Analyses revealed two distinct conceptions of time corresponding to idiographic and nomothetic research approaches: scientists from the humanities and social sciences tend to have a more open, undetermined conception of time, whereas natural scientists tend to focus on a more determined conception that includes some undetermined aspects. Our analyses lead to reflections on potential difficulties for interdisciplinary teams in nuclear waste management. We focus on the understanding of the safety assessment, on potential implications for communication between experts from different disciplines (e.g., between experts from the humanities and engineering for risk assessment and risk communication), and we reflect on the roles of different disciplines in nuclear waste management.
Schlagwörter
Fachgebiet (DDC)
150 - Psychologie
Projekt
Veranstaltung
Startdatum der Ausstellung
Enddatum der Ausstellung
Startdatum der Konferenz
Enddatum der Konferenz
Datum der letzten Prüfung
ISBN
ISSN
0272-4332
1539-6924
Sprache
Englisch
Während FHNW Zugehörigkeit erstellt
Nein
Publikationsstatus
Veröffentlicht
Begutachtung
Peer-Review der ganzen Publikation
Open Access-Status
Lizenz
Zitation
MOSER, Corinne, Michael STAUFFACHER, Pius KRÜTLI und Roland W. SCHOLZ, 2012. The crucial role of nomothetic and idiographic conceptions of time: Interdisciplinary collaboration in nuclear waste management. Risk Analysis. 2012. Bd. 32, Nr. 1, S. 138–154. DOI 10.1111/j.1539-6924.2011.01639.x. Verfügbar unter: https://irf.fhnw.ch/handle/11654/38990