This theoretical paper discusses some conceptual and methodological obstacles that one encounters when analyzing the contextual determination of thinking in psychology. First, we comment upon the various representations of the "cognitive" individual that have been formed over the years--from the epistemic subject to the psychological subject, and…

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…

Despite being eclipsed in recent years by simulation theory, theory of mind and accounts of executive functioning, social-relational approaches to perspective taking and coordination based on the ideas of Jean Piaget and George Herbert Mead have never completely disappeared from the literature of developmental psychology. According to the…

The assumption of domain specificity has been invaluable to the study of the emergence of biological thought in young children. Yet, domains of thought must be understood within a broader context that explains how those domains relate to the surrounding cultures, to different kinds of cognitive constraints, to framing effects, to abilities to…

Examines Gal'perin's contribution to the analysis of internalization. Notes that Gal'perin believed mental processes are neither internal faculties nor a reflection of brain processes but external object-related actions. States that the concept of internalization can avoid internal-external dualism while emphasizing the human character of mental…

Comments on the article by Arievitch and van der Veer in this issue, focusing on two issues. First, states that replacing the term "internalization" with another term such as "mastery" or "appropriation" is not merely terminological but actually does address distinctions between internal and external processes.…

The implications of the concept of praxis for general and developmental psychology are discussed via illustrations drawn from the writings of Laing and Mao Tse Tung. Different modes of cognitive functioning are presented in terms of both theory and research findings related to the concept of quasirationality. (JMB)

Emphasizes the social and interpersonal aspects of actions, especially as described in Soviet psychology. Argues that remembering is essential for intentional action. Intentional action is derived from the communication and cooperative relations between two people. (RH)

Giyoo Hatano was an international scholar--an adaptive expert himself. His creative methodologies and theoretical insights have enriched the work of researchers in many countries. How Hatano lived his life and treated others provides enriching insights as well. In this essay, we focus on "adaptive expertise", one of Giyoo Hatano's major…

Criticizes the distinction between lower and higher psychological processes in Vygotsky's cultural-historical theory. Shows that Vygotsky separated these processes too sharply and that his conception of lower processes as "natural" and "passive" is false. Suggests that these shortcomings can be overcome within the…

An action theoretic account of skill learning and skill use is offered as a useful heuristic for life-span developmental psychology. The version presented is one that is particularly prominent in industrial psychology in the German-speaking countries. (Author/RH)

This paper defines the concept of the dialectic and places it within the context of a well-defined methodology, i.e. that of organicism, which contrasts markedly with the logical empiricism of much contemporary psychology. The paper then points out the relevance of a dialectical perspective for developmental psychology. (Author/CS)

Describes the symposium on action theory presented at the 1983 meeting of the International Society for the Study of Behavioral Development in Munich. The symposium included reactions to action theory from a variety of theoretical perspectives. (Author/RH)

Models of development and models of memory reflect either a mechanistic or organismic world view. A merger of the information-processing models of memory and qualitative models of development is suggested, and has valuable implications about the possible nature of "locus" of memory development (ST)

Outlines what the terms "learning" and "development" meant in the theoretical framework on one important developmental psychologist--Vygotsky. Discusses his concepts of decontextualization and contextualization, which have implications for a possible developmental account of heterogeneity in human mental functioning. (ET)