This article deals with the problems of studying communication links in a digital society. An analysis is made of the heuristic possibilities of the classical causal model for describing the dependencies of social phenomena. In the world of quantum phenomena, however, any measurement affects the system. The mere fact that we measure, for example, the location of a particle, leads to an unpredictable change in its speed. The same phenomena can be observed in the social system: any empirical study of social phenomena automatically produces in itself, some changes in this system. Modern physics has discovered the quantum structure of the material world. And human beings, as material objects, really are quantum. Therefore, social life requires a quantum structure for its proper understanding. This means that we need to develop a “quantum social science”. The principles of quantum mechanics are relevant for social theory, and therefore quantum theory cannot be ignored in the social sciences. The quantum effect can be described as the propensity of certain individuals to modify their conduct due to their consciousness of being observed. This effect refers to the fact that people will modify their behavior simply because they are being observed. The new approaches are proposed for using the quantum dependence model of theoretical physics in relation to the human phenomena in the modern digital space.
This article deals with the problems of studying communication links in a digital society. An analysis is made of the heuristic possibilities of the classical causal model for describing the dependencies of social phenomena. In the world of quantum phenomena, however, any measurement affects the system. The mere fact that we measure, for example, the location of a particle, leads to an unpredictable change in its speed. The same phenomena can be observed in the social system: any empirical study of social phenomena automatically produces in itself, some changes in this system. Modern physics has discovered the quantum structure of the material world. And human beings, as material objects, really are quantum. Therefore, social life requires a quantum structure for its proper understanding. This means that we need to develop a “quantum social science”. The principles of quantum mechanics are relevant for social theory, and therefore quantum theory cannot be ignored in the social sciences. The quantum effect can be described as the propensity of certain individuals to modify their conduct due to their consciousness of being observed. This effect refers to the fact that people will modify their behavior simply because they are being observed. The new approaches are proposed for using the quantum dependence model of theoretical physics in relation to the human phenomena in the modern digital space.
Quantum probability theory, originally developed in the context of quantum mechanics, has increasingly been applied to social sciences to explain decision-making, cognition, and collective behavior. Unlike classical probability models, which assume pre-existing and well-defined preferences, quantum models incorporate superposition, interference, and non-commutativity to capture the contextual dependence and measurement effects observed in human decisions. This paper systematically explores the theoretical foundations of quantum probability in social sciences, discusses model construction techniques, and reviews empirical findings supporting its application. By examining case studies in quantum cognition, quantum game theory, and quantum voting, we illustrate how quantum approaches provide alternative explanations for phenomena such as order effects, measurement-induced attitude shifts, and collective polarization. The paper also discusses the methodological challenges and limitations of quantum social science, emphasizing the need for rigorous experimental validation and interdisciplinary collaboration. Finally, we highlight the potential for integrating quantum probability models with emerging technologies such as quantum computing and artificial intelligence, opening new avenues for social science research and policy applications.
Abstract The social and economic sciences are grounded on the basic assumption that social life, decision-making behavior, and consciousness are classical physical and therefore material phenomena. Quantum social science, a new research area, which refers to the knowledge and interpretations of quantum physics, is challenging this assumption. This paper gives an overview of quantum social science and explains quantum decision theory on the one hand with a focus on the cognitive biases first elaborated by Kahneman & Tversky, and on the other hand by Darwin´s theory of evolution.
What is quantum social science? After a short discursion into the field of “econophysics” we now arrive at a much more exotic stop. However, readers who have perused Chapter 1, will possibly be less astonished to find that instead of making reference to social science within a statistical mechanics environment, we now make reference to social science as it could be embedded in a quantum mechanical context. Or is “quantum social science” denoting something altogether different? The term is certainly fraught with a huge potential for misinterpretation. A common, but maybe not so erroneous, interpretation of the term often made by newcomers to this “field” can be expressed via the following question: “is quantum social science about reformulating social science with quantum mechanical tools?” Such a question brings us closer to the goal of attempting to explain quantum social science, but right here and now, i.e. at this very point in this book, we have the opportunity to make a serious attempt to be really precise on what is meant with this new term. Therefore, let us from the outset indicate what it is not . Quantum social science is not about reformulating social science on a quantum size scale. The macroscopic world does not operate at the Planck scale. On prima facie, this obvious statement does not need any further explanation. However, if the human experience is centered around consciousness and the functioning of the brain, then we are much less sure to claim there is a total absence of quantum processes.
Introduction The central claim of this book is that all intentional phenomena are quantum mechanical. That goes both for the private thoughts inside our heads and for public or collective intentions like norms, culture, and language, which we might generically call institutions. I suggested in Chapter 1 that by virtue of their dependence on consciousness, a classical, materialist ontology cannot explain these phenomena, and as such from that perspective they must be epiphenomenal or illusions. In the rest of this book I show that a quantum, panpsychist ontology can provide a physical basis for what we all know to be true, which is that both private and collective intentions are part of the natural order. The elementary parts of social ontology are human beings in their biological individuality, which in this Part I consider in abstraction from their lived social contexts. By taking humans out of their natural habitat I aim to focus attention on what we bring to the social table simply by virtue of being organisms of a certain kind. The abstract individual is a common enough starting point in classical social theory (think Hobbes and the state of nature). However, it might seem an odd place to begin a quantum social theory, given the holism of quantum phenomena, both “all the way down” in having no elementary parts, and “all the way across” in universal non-locality. What look like separate organisms are just local decoherence effects of quantum fields; everything really is related to everything else. In that light the abstract individual appears not just as an abstraction, but as positively occluding what “the individual” really is. However, there is a difference between what is true of a universal ontology and what is practically relevant to specifically socialontologies, which are constrained by the properties of their constituent organisms. Unlike some organisms, humans live in highly interdependent societies, and most of what is interesting about us is socially constituted as well.
Introduction: the study considers the problem of observer’s status during specific quantum-mechanical experiments, in which the empirical result directly depends on the participation of the experimenter's mind. Here the problem arises of the connection between the mind of the observer and the quantum-mechanical description of physical reality. The paper pays attention to modern trends in physics and philosophy devoted to the study of this phenomenon. Some aspects of the philosophical interpretation of the mind as a quantum mechanism are presented. Materials and Methods: the research materials demonstrate an overview of several common quantum-philosophical theories. Attempts have been made to search for the connection of quantum phenomena with the mechanisms of the functioning of human mind. The experimental background of quantum physics is demonstrated, providing material for analyzing the possibility of applying modern quantum theory to the question of identifying the relationship of the quantum approach and describing the problem of the influence of the observer’s mind on the result of a physical experiment. Results: the concept of quantum mechanics, taking into account the latest achievements and results of physics, philosophy and psychology, allows us to consider the mind of the observer as an integral part of the mechanism responsible for the formation of the surrounding physical reality. The anthropic principle of participation considered in the work gives the observer's mind a special role allowing to form a quantum-mechanical description of physical reality. Discussion and conclusions: it is shown that the mind of the observer plays an important role in quantum theory. Moreover, mind as a psychic phenomenon may be in fact identical with the quantum-mechanical concept of choosing an alternative. Given the fact that the brain's thought processes influence the measurement results, it can be assumed that mind changes quantum probabilities. This assumption allows us to take a different look at the concept of reality itself.
Purpose This work examines assumptions of positivism and the traditional scientific method. Design/methodology/approach Insights from quantum mechanics are explored especially as they relate to method, measurement and what is knowable. An argument is made that how social scientists, particularly sociologists, understand the nature of “reality out there” and describe the social world may be challenged by quantum ideas. The benefits of utilized mixed methods, considering quantum insights, cannot be overstated. Findings It is the proposition of this work that insights from modern physics alter the understanding of the world “out there.” Wheeler suggested that the most profound implication from modern physics is that “there is no out there” (1982; see also Baggott, 1992). Grappling with how modern physics may alter understanding in the social sciences will be difficult; however, that does not mean the task should not be undertaken (see Goswami, 1993). A starting point for the social sciences may be relinquishing an old mechanistic science that depends on the establishment of an objective, empirically based, verifiable reality. Mechanistic science demands “one true reality – a clear-cut reality on which everyone can agree…. Mechanistic science is by definition reductionistic…it has had to try to reduce complexity to oversimplification and process to statis. This creates an illusionary world…that has little or nothing to do with the complexity of the process of the reality of creation as we know, experience, and participate in it” (Goswami, 1993, pp. 64, 66). Research limitations/implications Many physicists have popularized quantum ideas for others interested in contemplating the implications of modern physics. Because of the difficulty in conceiving of quantum ideas, the meaning of the quantum in popular culture is far removed from the parent discipline. Thus, the culture has been shaped by the rhetoric and ideas surrounding the basic quantum mathematical formulas. And, over time, as quantum ideas have come to be part of the popular culture, even the link to the popularized literature in physics is lost. Rather, quantum ideas may be viewed as cultural formations that take on a life of their own. Practical implications The work allows a critique of positivist method and provides insight on how to frame qualitative methodology in a new way. Social implications The work utilizes popularized ideas in quantum theory: the preeminent theory that describes all matter. Little work in sociology utilizes this perspective in understanding research methods. Originality/value Quantum insights have rarely been explored in highlighting limitations in positivism. The current work aims to build on quantum insights and how these may help us better understand the social world around us.