Developmental Psychology

Morality, exclusion, and culture

by Alaina Brenick

Killen, M. & Brenick, A. (2011). Morality, exclusion, and culture. In X. Chen & K. R. Rubin (Eds.), Socioemotional Development in Cultural Contexts. New York: Guilford Publications.

Social Constructionism as Ontology: Exposition and Example

by john cromby

This paper contends that anti-realist claims regarding the
‘nature’ of social constructionism and the world it... more This paper contends that anti-realist claims regarding the
‘nature’ of social constructionism and the world it describes are erroneous.Specifically, we argue that claims regarding the impossibility of referentiality and objectivity—often seen as defining characteristics of constructionism—mistake both the nature of the subject matter at hand and the consequences that follow from theoretical critiques of naıve objectivism
and realism. Drawing upon the (critical) realist philosophy of science,we illustrate, through the use of a particular case study, that the version of constructionism proposed here is more compelling, credible and has greater utility than others that have been offered.

Why Studies of Autism Spectrum Disorders Have Failed to Resolve the Theory Theory Versus Simulation Theory Debate

by Meredith Wilkinson

Co-authored with Linden J Ball

Wilkinson, M. R., & Ball, L. J. (forthcoming) Why Studies of Autism Spectrum Disorders Have Failed to Resolve the Theory Theory Versus Simulation Theory Debate, Review of Philosophy and Psychology, 2012, DOI 10.1007/s13164-012-0097-0

Misyurov D.A. Dialectical formulas based on the binary notation as the development formulas // Credo New. 2012. №2

by Dmitry Misyurov

The article suggests dialectical formulas based on the binary notation as the development formulas: formula with... more The article suggests dialectical formulas based on the binary notation as the development formulas: formula with dominant and the non-dominant elements; universal formula; formula with symbolic weight of elements; tautological formula. For example, it suggests an opportunity to use the dialectical formulas for modeling and artificial intelligence creation, etc.

Action observation in the infant brain: The role of body form and motion

by Emily S. Cross

Much research has been carried out to understand how our brains make sense of another agent in motion. Current views... more Much research has been carried out to understand how our brains make sense of another agent in motion. Current views based on human adult and monkey studies assume a matching process in the motor system biased towards actions performed by conspecifics and present in the observer’s motor repertoire. However, little is known about the neural correlates of action cognition in early ontogeny. In this study, we examined the processes involved in the observation of full body movements in 4-month-old infants using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to measure localized brain activation. In a 2 x 2 design, infants watched human or robotic figures moving in a smooth, familiar human-like manner, or in a rigid, unfamiliar robotic-like manner. We found that infant premotor cortex responded more strongly to observing robotic-like motion compared to human-like motion. Contrary to current views, this suggests that the infant motor system is flexibly engaged by novel movement patterns. Moreover, temporal cortex responses indicate that infants integrate information about form and motion during action observation. The response patterns obtained in premotor and temporal cortices during action observation in these young infants are very similar to those reported for adults (Cross et al., in press). These findings thus suggest that the brain processes involved in the analysis of an agent in motion in adults become functionally specialized very early in human development.

Why chunking should be considered as an explanation for developmental change before short-term memory capacity and processing speed

by Gary Jones

Jones, G. (in press). Why chunking should be considered as an explanation for developmental change before short-term memory capacity and processing speed. Frontiers in Cognitive Science.

Mu-rhythm detection in infants

by Maurizio Bertollo

Comparative Development of Communication: An Evolutionary Perspective

by Adolfo Perinat

2007. In J. Valsiner & A. Rosa (Eds.), The Cambridge Handbook of Sociocultural Psychology (pp. 140-163). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

It is difficult, if not impossible, to discuss the comparative development of commu- nication except from a... more It is difficult, if not impossible, to discuss the comparative development of commu- nication except from a phylogenetic standpoint. In this sense, the title ofthis chapter is redundant. Moreover, the comparative task is highly complicated. Is there any basis for comparison between the forms of communication used by arthropods, anurans, birds, or aquatic mammals, or between human or non-human primates7 And if there is, what is it? In an attempt to encompass the great diversity ofthe forms of communication that exist in the animal world, the definitions that have been proposed inevitably fall back upon generalities, making use of concepts like "transmission of information", "probability of response to a signal", "sharing elements of behavior", or "the means of achieving coordinated action". We are immediately confronted by a further difficulty: each species has evolved forms of communication that make use of the particular properties of its physical environment. Some species use a single dimension: visual, sonorous, olfactory, electrical, or echolocation. Others (the higher species) make simultaneous use of various dimensions. The type of communication found among organisms with simple nervous systems does not - and cannot - have the same properties and complexity as communication produced by central nervous systems. The immense diversity of communicative "forms" makes it impossible to define even minimally acceptable comparative criteria.

Developmental expectations of preschoolers by Indonesian, Malaysian and Singaporean urban mothers.

by Airil Haimi Mohd Adnan

(2012) - refereed proceedings.
Co-authored with Nurulhayati Ilias.

Second International Congress of Interdisciplinary Research and Development (INRIT) / May 31st to June 1st, 2012, Bangkok, THAILAND.

Enhancing learning and retention through ‘cognitive linkages’: a case study of Malaysian children.

by Airil Haimi Mohd Adnan

(2012) - refereed proceedings.
Co-authored with Nurulhayati Ilias (lead).

Second International Congress of Interdisciplinary Research and Development (INRIT) / May 31st to June 1st, 2012, Bangkok, THAILAND.

The cradle of language: making sense of bodily connexions

by Stephen J. Cowley

This appeared as:
Cowley, S. J. (2007). The Cradle of Language: making sense of bodily connections. In D. Moyal-Sharrock (ed.) Perspicuous Presentations: Essays on Wittgenstein's Philosophy of Psychology, Palgrave MacMillan, Hondmills, pp. 278-298.

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Much is rotten in the ‘sciences’ of language and cognition. To those familiar with Wittgenstein’s work this is... more Much is rotten in the ‘sciences’ of language and cognition. To those familiar with Wittgenstein’s work this is apparent in, for example, the gulf that separates investigations of mind from those of language. Equally, it appears in how empirical work tends to skate over conceptual issues while theories of discourse proceed with disregard for causal processes. Taking another direction, I invoke ‘natural history’ in posing new questions about the origins of minded and discursive behaviour. In this context, I use ‘micro-investigations’ to demonstrate how a single moment of interaction can be used to throw new light on the processes of human development. Rather than argue for my proposed ascriptions, my aim is to show the power of the method by close examination of a moment when, in Wittgenstein’s phrase, “understanding dawns”.

Cognitive Development and Interaction Contexts

by Adolfo Perinat

2010. In collaboration with Mariela Orozco Hormaza & Hernán Sánchez Ríos. En A. Bastos & E. Rabinovich, Living in Poverty. Developmental Poetics of Cultural Realities (pp. 375-399). Charlotte, Estados Unidos: Information Age Publishing.

Reflections arising from more than a decade work with Colombian children living in poor urban areas (and with their... more Reflections arising from more than a decade work with Colombian children living in poor urban areas (and with their care-givers) have originated a confrontation between the idea that deficits in cognitive development are produced by socioeconomic conditions and the reduction of context to categories related with socioeconomic status. This confrontation has motivated us to search for new ways to approach these children’s cognitive development and characterize their context in terms of other dimensions, which are different but complementary to the socioeconomic dimension. This will allow for a more detailed description of children’s interaction contexts, making it possible to evaluate what factors positively affect the children’s cognitive development.

(Book Review) Argumenter en classe de sciences. C. Buty and C. Plantin (Eds.)

by Antonio Bova

Argumentation among family members in Italy and Switzerland: A cross-cultural perspective

by Antonio Bova

“I Want to Talk but It Is Not Possible!” Dinnertime Argumentation in Swiss and Italian Families

by Antonio Bova

Functions of “Why” Questions Asked by Children in Family Conversations

by Antonio Bova

Communicative functions of Why-questions in parent-child interaction at home

by Antonio Bova

Bova, A. (2012). Communicative functions of Why-questions in parent-child interaction at home. Proceedings of the 15th European Conference of Developmental Psychology (pp. 301-306). Bologna: Medimond.

Argumentative strategies for conflict management and resolution in Italian and Swiss families

by Antonio Bova

Implicitness functions in family argumentation

by Antonio Bova

Invoking the Authority of Feelings as a Strategic Maneuver in Family Mealtime Conversations

by Antonio Bova

How to cite:
Bova, A. and Arcidiacono, F. (2012), Invoking the Authority of Feelings as a Strategic Maneuver in Family Mealtime Conversations. J. Community. Appl. Soc. Psychol.. doi: 10.1002/casp.2113

This paper is centred on family conversations and focuses on the conditions that allow a specific strategic maneuver,... more This paper is centred on family conversations and focuses on the conditions that allow a specific strategic maneuver, the invocation of the authority, to be an effective argumentative strategy when used by parents to convince their children to accept rules and prescriptions. Within a corpus of argumentative sequences selected from 30 video-recordings of family mealtime conversations, an argumentative sequence between parents and children, which brings to light the results obtained through the qualitative analysis of a corpus of 60 argumentative sequences, is presented and discussed. The analysis relies on a communicative-argumentative methodology based on the extended pragma-dialectical theory and on the Argumentum Model of Topics to identify the participants’ moves and to analyze the inferential configuration of arguments, respectively. The findings of the analysis show that the invocation of the authority by parents represents an argumentative strategy that is effective when two conditions are met: (i) the nature of the relationship between the person who represents the authority and the person to whom the argument is addressed is based on the certainty of positive feelings, rather than on the fear of punishment, and (ii) the reasons the prohibition is based on are not to be hidden from the child’s eyes, but are to be shared by family members. The analysis has thus brought out a specific type of invocation of authority that we have defined as the authority of feelings. The results of this study contribute to research on family argumentation and on the interactional dynamics between parents and children.