The Crucial Role of Nomothetic and Idiographic Conceptions of Time: Interdisciplinary Collaboration in Nuclear Waste Management

摘要: The disposal of nuclear waste involves extensive time scales. Technical experts consider up to 1 million years for the spent fuel and high-level in their safety assessment. Yet is not only a technical but also so-called sociotechnical problem and, therefore, requires interdisciplinary collaboration between technical, natural, social sciences, humanities its management. Given that these disciplines differ language, epistemics, interests, such might be problematic. Based on evidence from cognitive psychology, we suggest that, particular, concept like presumably critical can understood differently. This study explores how different scientific understand scales general then focuses waste. Eighteen qualitative exploratory interviews were conducted with time-related phenomena disciplines, among them working Analyses revealed two distinct conceptions corresponding idiographic nomothetic research approaches: scientists sciences tend have more open, undetermined conception time, whereas natural focus determined includes some aspects. Our analyses lead reflections potential difficulties teams We understanding assessment, implications communication (e.g., engineering risk assessment communication), reflect roles