Hans Eysenck's effort after unification in psychology: Could his work have benefited from a trimodal framework?

For all Hans Eysenck's achievements in psychology, his attempt at integration in psychology by linking statistically derived data with biological theorizing is perhaps his boldest and potentially most important contribution. It is nevertheless flawed both by his limited conception of biology and, in particular, his attempt to quantify meaning. It is argued that meaning should be a crucial subject matter for psychologists. However, it has special properties such as being perspectival which render inappropriate measurement and the assumption of objectivity. Trimodal Theory is presented as a radically different way of conceptualizing the mind and human action. This postulates three modes underpinning human action - biological, symbolic and reflexive which have emerged over evolutionary and historical time. The latter two have emergent properties which make them epistemologically distinct. This is discussed as offering a more valid, even if methodologically problematic, approach to conceptualizing biology and meaning and their inter-relationship.