Jean Piaget

Password: _Comeback_

by Jasmina Tacheva

To M. R. who introduced me to Kohlberg and basically wrote half of the play

CHARACTERS:

THE COMPUTER
CATATON
HEBEPHRENIA
CHARACTERS:

THE COMPUTER
CATATON
HEBEPHRENIA

Eco-Ontology, Experiential Contradiction, and Mental Intention: The Dialectical Relationship Between Human Knowledge Development and the Natural World

by Robert R. Windle III

Paper given at the 8th International Conference on Environmental, Cultural, Economic, and Social Sustainability

Social and cultural concepts permeate into both the individual psyche and have consequences for the natural world.... more Social and cultural concepts permeate into both the individual psyche and have consequences for the natural world. This is due to the fact that these three entities (the natural world, the realm of the collective life-world, and the individual psyche) are nodes which correspond on a nexus and thereby create reality or existence. The beginning, as it is the beginning for all life, is the physical environment, or the phenomenological world. The next component is the life-world, the social-political-economic-linguistic-community. The life-world reflects a culture and has a collective mind or episteme. The last component―last only in regards to my demonstration, as I suggest that all three correspond, coordinate, and are cotemporaneous―is the individual. The individual is empirically defined by genetic makeup and physical traits. However, another major aspect to the individual is the psychological.
These three components formulate an interrelated, corresponding, and overlapping existence. They constitute the entirety of the phenomenological realm. Furthermore, not only are these components of existence reciprocal, but there is a logical intention―performed and harmonized by all three.
I designate the term eco-ontological to encompass the composition of all three elements. The eco-ontological is in a constant state of flux. It is this flux that allows for progress. When these components of existence fall into contradiction or disequilibrium—either with one another or internally with their own component parts—a recognition or reaction of existence must occur. This recognition or reaction harmonizes or equilibrates the eco-ontological reality. Therefore, changes or alterations in any one correspondingly affect the system in its entirety.
I intend to examine the concept of the individual/social/environment as it exists under the dominating episteme of our times in order to determine the consequences that it holds for us today. These consequences affect human mental development, social development, and the natural environment in general. I intend to explore regard the psychological, social, and environmental consequences that are produced when this system is unbalanced?

Piaget's stages

by Hugo Rabson

In addition to Piaget’s two basic concepts or psychological development – assimilation and accommodation – he asserts... more In addition to Piaget’s two basic concepts or psychological development – assimilation and accommodation – he asserts that each person experiences four developmental stages: sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, and formal operational. Freud made similar assertions albeit from a psychosexual perspective. Mahler built upon Berne’s Transactional Analysis. Piaget’s theories are complementary to Berne’s, but the two schools of thought inevitably generate divergent theories of therapeutic treatment.

La construction de la notion de pays chez les élèves d’une école primaire multiculturelle

by Domenico Masciotra, PhD

Domenico Masciotra et Catherine Garnier
Revue des sciences de l'éducation, Volume 25, numéro 2, 1999, p. 339-358

This article defines the concept of country in terms of spaces enclosed within each other: city within province and... more This article defines the concept of country in terms of spaces enclosed within each other: city within province and province within country. This structure was necessary in understanding the territorial origins of the "Other". Within the frame of a research dealing with the construction of ethnocultural "otherness", the authors examined this concept and its evolution with age among students in a multicultural elementary school in Montreal. The authors found that the concept of country develops along with two complementary and indissociable processes: from a non-differentiation of territory spatial components toward their differentiation, and that moving from an unclear global space with unrelated parts to a structure whose parts are significantly related.

Cet article définit la construction de la notion de pays en termes d'espaces emboîtés : ville dans province et province dans pays. Cette construction se révèle indispensable pour saisir l'origine territoriale de l'Autre. Dans le cadre d'une recherche portant sur la construction de l'altérité ethnoculturelle, les auteurs ont étudié cette construction chez les élèves (de la première à la sixième année) d'une école primaire multiculturelle de Montréal et son évolution avec l'âge. Il ressort que la notion de pays se développe au long de deux processus complémentaires et indissociables : celui d'une indifférenciation des compartimentations spatiales du territoire vers leur différenciation et celui qui va d'une globalité spatiale confuse, dont les parties ne sont pas objectivement reliées, à un ensemble dont les parties sont significativement interreliées.

La construction de la notion de pays chez les élèves d’une école primaire multiculturelle

by Domenico Masciotra, PhD

Domenico Masciotra et Catherine Garnier
Revue des sciences de l'éducation, Volume 25, numéro 2, 1999, p. 339-358

This article defines the concept of country in terms of spaces enclosed within each other: city within province and... more This article defines the concept of country in terms of spaces enclosed within each other: city within province and province within country. This structure was necessary in understanding the territorial origins of the "Other". Within the frame of a research dealing with the construction of ethnocultural "otherness", the authors examined this concept and its evolution with age among students in a multicultural elementary school in Montreal. The authors found that the concept of country develops along with two complementary and indissociable processes: from a non-differentiation of territory spatial components toward their differentiation, and that moving from an unclear global space with unrelated parts to a structure whose parts are significantly related.

Cet article définit la construction de la notion de pays en termes d'espaces emboîtés : ville dans province et province dans pays. Cette construction se révèle indispensable pour saisir l'origine territoriale de l'Autre. Dans le cadre d'une recherche portant sur la construction de l'altérité ethnoculturelle, les auteurs ont étudié cette construction chez les élèves (de la première à la sixième année) d'une école primaire multiculturelle de Montréal et son évolution avec l'âge. Il ressort que la notion de pays se développe au long de deux processus complémentaires et indissociables : celui d'une indifférenciation des compartimentations spatiales du territoire vers leur différenciation et celui qui va d'une globalité spatiale confuse, dont les parties ne sont pas objectivement reliées, à un ensemble dont les parties sont significativement interreliées.

Social Relations and cognitive development: The influence of conversation types and representations of gender.

by Charis Psaltis

Psaltis, C. & Duveen, G. (2006). Social Relations and cognitive development: The influence of conversation types and representations of gender. European Journal of Social Psychology,36, 407-430

While the productive role of social interaction between peers in promoting cognitive development has been clearly... more While the productive role of social interaction between peers in promoting cognitive development has been clearly established, the communicative processes through which this is achieved have not been clearly identified. This paper reports a study in which 184 6.5 to 7.5 year old children were presented with a Piagetian task of conservation of liquid. Both male and female non-conservers worked with a conserving partner in either same or mixed-sex dyads, thus creating four different pair types. The pairs were asked to discuss their conflicting answers and agree upon a joint response. Cognitive progress was assessed by pre to post-test gains. The results indicated that the type of conversation established during the interaction was strongly related to the outcome. The results also indicate that the gender composition of the pairs influenced the type of conversation which occurred and the outcome measures. These results are discussed in relation to the general model of socio-cognitive conflict, and highlight the role of representations and expectations of gender in the way in which the conflict is expressed and resolved in conditions of aligned or conflicting knowledge and gender asymmetries.

The Social and the psychological: Structure and Context in Intellectual Development

by Charis Psaltis

Psaltis, C., Duveen, G., and Perret-Clermont, A. (2009) in Human Development, 52, 291-312

This paper discusses the distinct meanings of internalization and interiorization as ways of rendering intelligible... more This paper discusses the distinct meanings of internalization and interiorization as ways of rendering intelligible the social constitution of the psychological in a line of research that started with Piaget and extended into a post-Piagetian reformulation of intelligence in successive generations of studies of the relations between social interaction and cognitive development. While the same clarity cannot be found in Vygotsky’s work, the emphasis on the cultural embeddedness of cognitive activity in contemporary cultural psychology has also been a significant influence on the evolution of this work. This paper proposes a further integration of these perspectives by developing the idea of operativity-in-context as a means of retaining the advantages of Piaget’s structural analysis of cognition whilst recognizing the situational and cultural constraints on cognitive functioning.

The metaphor of the triangle in theories of human development.

by Charis Psaltis

Zittoun, T.,Cornish, F. , Gillespie, A. & Psaltis, C.  (2007). The metaphor of the triangle in theories of human development. Human Development, 50, 208-229.Commentaries by J.Martin and M.Ferrari http://content.karger.com/ProdukteDB/produkte.asp?Aktion=Ausgabe&Ausgabe=233249&ProduktNr=224249

Developmental psychologists have a long history of using triangle metaphors to conceptualize the social constitution... more Developmental psychologists have a long history of using triangle metaphors to conceptualize the social constitution of psychological development. In this paper, we present a genealogy of triadic theories, to clarify their origins, distinctions between them, and to identify key themes for theoretical development. The analysis identifies three core triangle models in the developmental literature. Each theory relies on some combination of the terms subject, object, other and sign, and they can be distinguished by the core psychological dynamic which they entail. We distinguish an emotional triangle rooted in psychoanalysis, a mediational triangle rooted in the work of Vygotsky, and a sociocognitive triangle originating with Piaget. Despite their differences, the analysis reveals a common theme of the transformation from external mediation to internal mediation. Contemporary research and possible future directions are discussed in the light of the theoretical distinctions that our genealogy has revealed.

Communication and the construction of knowledge or transmission of belief: The role of conversation type and behavioral style

by Charis Psaltis

Psaltis, C. (2005). Communication and the construction of knowledge or transmission of belief:  The role of conversation type and behavioral style. Studies in Communication Sciences, 5, 209-228.

In this paper it is proposed that a central topic of inquiry in the study of social knowledge should be the... more In this paper it is proposed that a central topic of inquiry in the study of social knowledge should be the clarification of the conditions of communication that are likely to lead to the attainment of knowledge rather than to the transmission of belief. Insights and empirical evidence from social developmental psychology are presented that shed light on this issue. It is argued that social relations established between the partners in communication in the form of different conversation types are differentially linked to representations of an object based on the construction of new knowledge or transmission of beliefs. A central mechanism that constrains or enables the establishment of particular conversation types is social recognition, as this is manifested in different behavioural styles in communication.

The use of symbolic resources in developmental transitions.

by Charis Psaltis

Zittoun, T., Duveen, G., Gillespie, A., Ivinson, G. & Psaltis, C. (2003). The use of symbolic resources in developmental transitions. Culture & Psychology, 9, 415-448.Commentary by LÌvia Mathias Sim’o http://cap.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/9/4/449

This paper introduces the idea of symbolic resources as the use of cultural elements to mediate the representational... more This paper introduces the idea of symbolic resources as the use of cultural elements to mediate the representational work occasioned by ruptures or discontinuities in the smooth experience of ordinary life, moments when the “taken-for-granted” meanings cease to be taken for granted. In particular we are concerned with the use of symbolic resources in moments of developmental transitions, that is, the mobilisation of symbolic elements ranging from shared bodies of knowledge or argumentative strategies to movies, magazine, or art pieces. The paper begins with a brief theoretical sketch of these ideas, and then presents three case studies, each of which involves the use of a different type of symbolic resource within a particular age group. In the first, children are observed in interaction with a peer about a conservation problem. In the second adolescents are observed negotiating the meaning of their art productions with their peers, teachers and parents. The third example looks at Western tourists searching for spirituality, adventure and freedom in Ladakh as an alternative to the materialism of modernity. In each case the analysis of the symbolic resources employed indicates the significance of the gaze of the other in the construction of meanings, and of the various constraints operating within specific situations. The analysis also reveals different modes of use, which, we suggest, are linked to psychological development. Modes of uses of symbolic resources are linked to changing forms of reflexivity, from the non-reflective use exhibited by the children, through becoming-reflective among the adolescents, to reflective uses by the adults. It is suggested that this be considered as a developmental sequence in the socio-cultural use of symbolic resources.

The constructive role of gender asymmetry in social interaction: Further evidence

by Charis Psaltis

Psaltis, C.(2011). In British Journal of Developmental Psychology
Volume 29, Issue 2, pages 305–312

Two hundred and sixty-four children aged 6.5–7.5 years (first graders) took part in a pre-test, interaction, and... more Two hundred and sixty-four children aged 6.5–7.5 years (first graders) took part in a pre-test, interaction, and post-test experiment working on a spatial transformation task known as the ‘village task’. Cognitive progress was assessed by pre- to post-test gains in both an immediate and delayed post-test in dyads and individual participants as a control. The results indicate clear links between particular pair types with both communication processes and with learning and cognitive developmental outcomes. The present study demonstrates that gender can act as a source of status asymmetry in peer interaction to influence communication, learning, and cognitive development in same- and mixed-sex dyads.

Conversation types and conservation: Forms of recognition and cognitive development

by Charis Psaltis

Psaltis, C. & Duveen, G. (2007). Conversation types and conservation: Forms of recognition and cognitive development. British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 25, 79-102

While the productive role of social interaction between peers in promoting cognitive
development has been... more While the productive role of social interaction between peers in promoting cognitive
development has been clearly established, the communicative processes through which this is achieved is less clearly understood. Earlier work has established that different types of conversation become established between children as they work together on a problem, and that these types have different implications for the progress of a nonconserver. The paper focuses on the forms of recognition that emerge within these different conversation types. It reports further analyses of a study in which 226 6.5- to 7.5-year-old children were presented with a Piagetian task of conservation of liquid. Conservers and non-conservers were asked to discuss in pairs their conflicting answers and agree upon a joint response. Cognitive progress was assessed by pre- to post-test gains. Analyses of the conversational moves made by each of the participants to the conversation indicates that both non-conservers and conservers not only make characteristic contributions, but that these contributions vary across the conversation types, and hence also relate differentially to the non-conserver’s progress. More detailed qualitative analyses of the different conversation types provide insights into the ways in which different forms of recognition emerge through these interactions. These results are discussed in relation to a socio-cognitive account of development.

International collaboration as construction of knowledge and its constraints.

by Charis Psaltis

Psaltis, C. (2007) International collaboration as construction of knowledge and its constraints. Integrative Psychological and Behavioral Science, 41, 187-197.

In this paper I draw on Piaget and Habermas to underline the importance of the theoretical distinction between social... more In this paper I draw on Piaget and Habermas to underline the importance of the theoretical distinction between social relations of constraint and social relations of cooperation for reflecting upon inter-institutional projects. I argue that the socio-cultural approach to collaboration has some important limitations that restrict ideological critic and emancipatory research. The limitations of this approach can be located in its epistemological assumptions, a homogenized notion of culture and a weakness in articulating the intrapersonal, inter-personal, inter-group/positional and social representational/ideological levels of analysis. As an empirical example of this I discuss the SLOAN centres for family research.

Locating development: Locating developmental systems

by Susan Oyama

Mind and Mental Health Based on a Realistic Constructivism

by Khosrow Bagheri Noaparast

This essay concerns a philosophical examination of the nature of mind and the relevant implications for mental health.... more This essay concerns a philosophical examination of the nature of mind and the relevant implications for mental health. Traditionally, realism and constructivism are regarded as two contrastive positions in explaining the nature of mind. While realists take discovery of reality as the main function of mind, constructivists regard it as creation of reality. Hence, epistemologically, realists emphasize on correspondence to reality as the criterion of validity or truth of the mind's contents, whereas constructivists regard the inner coherence of constructs as the main criterion. inner coherence of constructs or resolving inner conflicts; capability of constructs for adaption to problematic situations; and correspondence to reality as an ideal in the long run are the discussions and aims of this paper

Constructivism

by Garance Marechal

Marechal, G. (2009) Constructivism. In: A.J. Mills, G. Durepos and E. Wiebe ed(s). Encyclopedia of Case Study Research. London: Sage, 2009, 220-25

‘Constructivism’ encompasses a variety of intellectual traditions concerned with the social, subjective, cognitive,... more ‘Constructivism’ encompasses a variety of intellectual traditions concerned with the social, subjective, cognitive, technological and linguistic processes involved in the construction of lay and scientific knowledge. These encompass contributions in psychology, psychiatry, anthropology and education challenging traditional approaches to learning, communication and change, and traditions in philosophy and social studies of science questioning objectivism. Constructivism and constructionism as terms are often used interchangeably in the literature, the first term being preferred in psychology and educational studies, the second in sociology. Over the past 40 years, constructivism/constructionism has also been of continuing interest in qualitative social research, alongside increased recognition of the subjective, social and discursive texture of human experience, practice and artifacts.

Despite differences, several common themes outline the contours of constructivist traditions. These traditions are skeptical towards empiricist foundations of knowledge and towards claims of the objectivity and value neutrality of scientific methods. They particularly question the existence of an external and already determined world and social reality, independent of any human knowledge, action or activity (ontological realism). Although focusing on interactions and communication practices, most constructivist traditions question the distinction between (and independences of) a knowing subject and an object to be known. This has been argued on the one hand to conflate ontology and epistemology, or on the other to subsume ontology into epistemology, as a result. Factual and scientific knowledge are seen as problematic constructions which, depending on perspectives, are viewed as the product of mental processes, technology, linguistic and social practices or repertoires. The purpose of both lay and scientific knowledge construction is to provide useful, adequate, coherent, stable or meaningful representations of the world in accordance with particular sets of systemic or socio-linguistic rules and constraints in given contexts.

Kuhn and conceptual change: on the analogy between conceptual changes in science and children

by Christian Greiffenhagen

Greiffenhagen, C. and W. Sherman (2008). Kuhn and conceptual change: on the analogy between conceptual changes in science and children. Science & Education 17 (1), 1-26.

This article argues that the analogy between conceptual changes in the history of science and conceptual changes in... more This article argues that the analogy between conceptual changes in the history of science and conceptual changes in the development of young children is problematic. We show that the notions of ‘conceptual change’ in Kuhn and Piaget’s projects, the two thinkers whose work is most commonly drawn upon to support this analogy, are not compatible in the sense usually claimed. We contend that Kuhn’s work pertains not so much to the psychology of individual scientists, but to the way philosophers and historians should describe developments in communities of scientists. Furthermore, we argue that the analogy is based on a misunderstanding of the nature of science and the relation between science and common sense. The distinctiveness of the two notions of conceptual change has implications for science education research, since it raises serious questions about the relevance of Kuhn’s remarks for the study of pedagogical issues.

Jean Piaget: Images of a life and his factory.

by Jeremy Burman

In press at History of Psychology, but available as an advance online publication. doi:10.1037/a0025930.

If you were ever curious to see the infamous report on the albino sparrow, or the snails (or the pipe!), they’re all... more If you were ever curious to see the infamous report on the albino sparrow, or the snails (or the pipe!), they’re all featured in a wonderful new book: Bonjour Monsieur Piaget: Images d’une vie – Images of a Life (Ratcliff, 2010). Authorized and supported by Jean Piaget’s son and literary executor, Laurent, this volume presents a view of its subject the equal of which I have never seen. It is simply wonderful. It also suggests hints of an emerging historical method, examining “psychological factories,” which I will discuss in detail in the second half of this essay.

Jean Piaget Foundation for research in psychology and epistemology: Newsletter #5

by Jeremy Burman

My translation of Ducret and Schachner's newsletter, distributed in June 2011 at the Jean Piaget Society meeting at Berkeley.

The Jean Piaget Foundation launched its website in April 2007: more The Jean Piaget Foundation launched its website in April 2007: www.fondationjeanpiaget.ch. Our primary purpose in creating it was to facilitate the dissemination of Piaget’s work, since many of his writings on psychology and genetic epistemology had become difficult to find. Now, after four years, it’s clear that we have achieved our goal.

4 Layers in the Fabric of Mind: A Critical Review of Cognitive

by Nagarjuna G