- Department of Psychology
Merrimack College
North Andover, Massachusetts 01845 - 9789798745
Michael Mascolo
Merrimack College, Psychology, Faculty Member
- Psychology, Developmental Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy of Mind, Philosophy Of Language, Ethics, and 89 moreLearning and Teaching, Psychotherapy and Counseling, Philosophy of Agency, Philosophical Psychology, Moral Psychology, Chinese Philosophy, Indian Philosophy, Buddhist Philosophy, Psychotherapy, Philosophy of Education, Constructivism, Integral Theory, Philosophy of Love, Philosophy of Psychology, Theoretical Psychology, Parenting, Sex, Child Development, Sexuality, Systems Thinking, Embodiment, Phenomenological Psychology, Cultural Psychology, Discursive Psychology, Narrative Psychology, Hermeneutics, Shame Theory, Cross-Cultural Psychology, Radical Constructivism, Philosophy of the Emotions, Jean Piaget, Culture, Constructionism, Personhood, Cross-Cultural Studies, Narrative Methods, Philosophy of Psychiatry, Eastern Philosophy, Asian Studies, Ethnography, Consciousness, Phenomenology, Dialogue, Philosophy of Social Science, Dynamical Systems, Social Identity, Pedagogy, Semiotics, Émmanuel Lévinas, Hermeneutic Phenomenology, Martha Nussbaum, Kenneth Burke, Roger Scruton, Alva Noe, Daniel Dennett, Maurice Merleau-Ponty, Wittgenstein, Charles Taylor, Hans-Georg Gadamer, Moral Philosophy, Free Will, Moral Responsibility, Personal and Moral Autonomy, Moral Development, Moral Education, Moral emotions, Free Will and Moral Responsibility, Beyond student-centered and teacher-centered pedagogy, Discourse Analysis, Identity (Culture), Self and Identity, Emotion, Affect/Emotion, The Self, Adult Development And Aging, Social Developmental Psychology, Emotional Development, Cognition and Emotion, Developmental Social Psychology, Integrative Psychotherpay, Student Centred Teaching, Teacher centred, Critical Theory, Philosophy of Science, Interpersonal Communication, Language and Power, History Of Psychology, Intention, Dialogical Psychology, and Classical Chinese literatureedit
- I am a Professor of Psychology and Academic Director of the Compass Program at Merrimack College (North Andover, Mas... moreI am a Professor of Psychology and Academic Director of the Compass Program at Merrimack College (North Andover, Massachusetts, USA). Contact me and share your work with me if you think we have shared interests. My work relates to the development of a general framework of understanding how persons develop. I am interested in the centrality of intersubjectivity in psychological functioning and development; self-cultivation over time; epigenesis, the the ways that biological , socio-cultural and psychological processes coact to promote development; the nature of human agency; character and the cultivation of virtue; teaching and learning; parenting; higher education; and how persons can develop through conflict resolution.edit
There are fewer more important issues in the world today than how resolve conflict between people. The truth is, however, that we already know a great deal about how to resolve interpersonal conflict between people. The problem is that... more
There are fewer more important issues in the world today than how resolve conflict between people. The truth is, however, that we already know a great deal about how to resolve interpersonal conflict between people. The problem is that this knowledge is typically the province of scholars, practitioners and other people who have expertise. From Conflict to Collaboration is a step-by-step guide to managing and resolving conflict between people in everyday situations. The key to conflict resolution is to treat interpersonal conflict not as a battle or competition, but instead as a type of problem to be solved. The problem to be solved is that of meeting the human needs of all parties to a conflict. This book walks the reader through four basic steps in resolving conflict in everyday relationships. These include (a) recognizing the humanity of the other, (b) identifying the human needs of each party; (c) brainstorming novel ideas to meet constituent needs; (d) inventing novel solutions to the problem of meeting those needs. The book contains detailed examples of each of the principles and strategies discussed. It also contains chapters managing strong emotion, resolving conflict in the context of power differentials, and adopting conflict resolution values as a way of life.
Research Interests: Communication, Peace and Conflict Studies, Psychotherapy, Mediation, Negotiation, and 15 moreCompassion, Conflict Resolution, Alternative Dispute Resolution, Interpersonal Relationships, Counseling, Collaborative Problem Solving, Empathy, Power relations, Active Listening, Human relationships, Confict Management, Couples Relationships, Peace & Reconciliation, Conflict resolution strategies , and Power differentials
Although integrative conceptions of development have been gaining increasing interest, there have been few attempts to bring together the various threads of this emerging trend. The Handbook of Integrative Developmental Science seeks ways... more
Although integrative conceptions of development have been gaining increasing interest, there have been few attempts to bring together the various threads of this emerging trend. The Handbook of Integrative Developmental Science seeks ways to bring together classic and contemporary theory and research in developmental psychology with an eye toward building increasingly integrated theoretical and empirical frameworks. It does so in the form of a festschrift for Kurt Fischer, whose life and work have both inspired and exemplified integrative approaches to development. Building upon and inspired by the comprehensive scope of Fischer's Dynamic Skill Theory, this book examines what an integrated theory of psychological development might look like. Bringing together the work of prominent integrative thinkers, the volume begins with an examination of philosophical presuppositions of integrative approaches to development. It then shows how Dynamic Skill Theory provides an example of an integrative model of development. After examining the question of the nature of integrative developmental methodology, the volume examines the nature of developmental change processes as well as pathways and processes in the development of psychological structures both within and between psychological domains. The team of expert contributors covers a range of psychological domains, including the macro-and micro-development of thought, feeling, motivation, self, intersubjectivity, social relations, personality , and other integrative processes. It ends with a set of prescriptions for the further elaboration of integrative developmental theory, and a tribute to Kurt Fischer and his influence on developmental psychology. This book will be essential reading for graduate students and researchers of developmental psychology and human development, specifically developmental science.
Research Interests: Developmental Psychology, Dynamical Systems, Developmental Psychopathology, Cognitive development, Educational Psychology, and 15 moreEducational Research, Philosophy of Psychology, Embodied Cognition, Theoretical Psychology, Embodied Mind and Cognition, Jean Piaget, Sociocultural Theory Of Learning, Moral Development, Social Developmental Psychology, Brain and Cognitive Development, Vygotsky, Epigenetics, Interdisciplinary research (Social Sciences), Social Development, and Personality Development
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Protests are occurring in American universities over the war in Gaza. Administrators at many campuses have sought to remove protesters from campus-often citing concerns about security and safety. However, it is difficult to resist the... more
Protests are occurring in American universities over the war in Gaza. Administrators at many campuses have sought to remove protesters from campus-often citing concerns about security and safety. However, it is difficult to resist the sense that administrators are also afraid of the consequences of appearing to tolerate antisemitism on campus.
Research Interests: Political Philosophy, Ethics, Moral Psychology, Peace and Conflict Studies, Political Science, and 13 moreIsrael/Palestine, Polarization (Ideology), Free Speech, Negotiation, Conflict Resolution, Conflict Management, Moral Philosophy, Freedom of Speech, Civil disobedience, Protest Movements, Social Conflict, Freedom of Speech Vs Hate Speech, and Social Media and Freedom of Speech and Expression
What are the relations among wisdom, virtue, and expertise? Wisdom can be defined broadly as knowledge about how to live well. At the least, the task of living well requires some conception of what it means for a life to be good as well... more
What are the relations among wisdom, virtue, and expertise? Wisdom can be defined broadly as knowledge about how to live well. At the least, the task of living well requires some conception of what it means for a life to be good as well as the knowledge and skill needed to actualize the good in one's spheres of life. While this idea is easy to assert, it is difficult to examine empirically. This is because the scientific study of wisdom immediately runs up against the challenge of the fact/ value dichotomy. While psychological science seeks to study "what is", the "wisdom" of any given decision, act or person is something that can only be assessed against some conception of the good. Thus, the study of wisdom calls on us to seek ways to bridge the fact/value dichotomy. In this paper, we pursue this goal. We suggest that the study of wisdom requires the integration of at least two forms of inquiry: psychological-empirical analyses of the development of knowledge and skills, and philosophical-conceptual inquiries into what it means to live a good life. In elaborating this approach, we first differentiate the concepts of wisdom, wise decision-making, and wisdom-supporting skills. Then we describe conceptual and empirical tools for assessing the development of wisdom-supporting skills as well as an evaluative framework for assessing the "wisdom" of any given act of decision-making. To illustrate these ideas, we report the results of a study demonstrating how the capacity for wise decision-making can be cultivated through participation in a program devoted to fostering the development of wisdom-supported skills.
Research Interests: Social Psychology, Developmental Psychology, Applied Philosophy, Moral Psychology, Education, and 13 moreExpertise, Values Education, Virtue Ethics, Character Education, Virtues (Moral Psychology), Wisdom, Intersubjectivity, Moral Development, Moral Philosophy, Moral Education, Enactivism, Naturalistic Fallacy, and Reification
In this paper, we examine the problem of underachievement in higher education. We begin by seeking to establish that the quality of learning among undergraduates is, as a whole, limited. Undergraduate underachievement cannot be attributed... more
In this paper, we examine the problem of underachievement in higher education. We begin by seeking to establish that the quality of learning among undergraduates is, as a whole, limited. Undergraduate underachievement cannot be attributed to any single cause. Quite the contrary, we argue that the origins of underperformance in the academy are systemic, coactive and multi-layered. At the proximal level of teaching and learning, we identify four mutually reinforcing processes that contribute to student underachievement: (a) fragmentation of the curriculum, (b) entrant knowledge level and skills gaps; (c) student culture, and (d) pedagogical ineffectiveness. At a more distal level, these processes operate within a set of macro-level systems and influences, including (a) economic pressures and academic commercialization, (b) specialization of expertise within the academy, (c) a culture of entitlement, amusement, and indulgence outside of the academy, and d) constraints related to govern...
Research Interests: Sociology, Higher Education, Assessment in Higher Education, Learning And Teaching In Higher Education, Higher Education Management, and 11 moreHigher Education Studies, Higher Education Policy, Curriculum, Retention, Mastery Learning, College Students, Undergraduate Students, College, Underachievement, Underperformance, and Pedagogy and its relations to the human sciences
Research Interests: Sociology, Psychology, Social Psychology, Leadership, Constructivism, and 15 moreSocial Problems, Creative Problem Solving, Reflexivity, Leadership Development, Organizations as complex adaptive systems, Leadership Theory, Problem Solving, Systems Thinking and Problem Solving, Political leadership, Constructivist Psychology, Leadership styles, Strategic Management and Leadership, Pandemic, Problem solving education, and Coronavirus
Research Interests: Psychology, Clinical Psychology, Developmental Psychology, Communication, Personality, and 15 moreConstructivism, Embodied Cognition, Child Development, Phenomenological Psychology, Phenomenology, Embodied Mind and Cognition, Intersubjectivity, Developmental Social Psychology, Enactivism, Joint Action, Evolution of sociality, Personal Construct Psychology, Constructivist Psychology, Embodied and Enactive Cognition, and Phenomenology of Intersubjectivity
Research Interests: Psychology, Cognitive Science, Social Psychology, Developmental Psychology, Evolutionary Psychology, and 10 moreEpistemology, Theoretical Psychology, Theories Of Personality, Metatheory, Social Developmental Psychology, History Of Psychology, Medicine, Theoretical and Philosophical Psychology, Psychological Theory, and History of Psychology
Research Interests: Psychology, Developmental Psychology, Epistemology, Social Research Methods and Methodology, Constructivism, and 15 morePhilosophy of Psychology, Critical Psychology, Discursive Psychology, Phenomenology, Constructionism, Critical Social Psychology, Postmodernism, Intersubjectivity, Social Constructionism, Hermeneutic Phenomenology, Relationality, Epistemology of the Social Sciences, Relational Ontology, Constructivist Psychology, and Psychological Science
Research Interests: Sociology, Psychology, Developmental Psychology, Epistemology, Philosophy of Science, and 12 moreConstructivism, Philosophy of Psychology, Theoretical Psychology, Discursive Psychology, Phenomenology, Philosophy of Social Science, Social Constructionism, Social Constructivism, Social Constructionism/ Constructivism, Epistemology of the Social Sciences, Admiration, and Constructivist Psychology
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Research Interests: Psychology, Personality Psychology, Developmental Psychology, Self and Identity, Cultural Psychology, and 10 moreDiscursive Psychology, Dialogical Psychology, Reflexivity, Personhood, Consciousness, Social Constructionism/ Constructivism, Relationality, Self, Psychological Studies, and Action (Physics)
Research Interests: Psychology, Cognitive Science, Personality Psychology, Emotion, Philosophy, and 15 morePhilosophy of Mind, Philosophy of Agency, Philosophical Psychology, Control Theory, Embodied Cognition, Embodiment, Embedded Systems, Consciousness, Free Will, Enactivism, Emergence, Agency, Embodied and Enactive Cognition, Philosophy of mind Free will and Consciousness, and Preconscious
The question of whether psychology can properly be regarded as a science has long been debated (Smedslund in Integrative Psychological & Behavioral Science, 50, 185-195, 2016). Science is typically understood as a method for producing... more
The question of whether psychology can properly be regarded as a science has long been debated (Smedslund in Integrative Psychological & Behavioral Science, 50, 185-195, 2016). Science is typically understood as a method for producing reliable knowledge by testing falsifiable claims against objective evidence. Psychological phenomena, however, are traditionally taken to be "subjective" and hidden from view. To the extent that science relies upon objective observation, is a scientific psychology possible? In this paper, I argue that scientific psychology does not much fail to meet the requirements of objectivity as much as the concept of objectivity fails as a methodological principle for psychological science. The traditional notion of objectivity relies upon the distinction between a public, observable exterior and a private, subjective interior. There are good reasons, however, to reject this dichotomy. Scholarship suggests that psychological knowledge arises neither fro...
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Research Interests: Sociology, Psychology, Cognitive Science, Developmental Psychology, Sociology of Education, and 15 moreSociology of Children and Childhood, Child and adolescent mental health, Children and Families, Early Childhood Education, Child Development, Anthropology of Children and Childhood, History of Childhood and Youth, Children and Media, Sociology of Childhood, Children, Childhood studies, Applied Developmental Psychology, New Sociology of Childhood, Child and Adolescent Mental Health, and Sociology of Childhood and Youth
Page 1. Social cognition as a mediator of adolescent development: A coactive systems approach Michael F. Mascolo and Deborah Margolis Merrimack College, North Andover, USA The study of social cognition often follows ...
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We live in a polarized world. Want to do something about it? Submit an article to Creating Common Ground Magazine. We are an online forum that publishes intelligent and well-written pieces that:
Research Interests: Business Ethics, Political Sociology, Political Economy, Political Philosophy, Ethics, and 15 moreMoral Psychology, Peace and Conflict Studies, Political Theory, Human Values, Virtue Ethics, Political Science, Character Education, International Political Economy, Political communication, Mediation, Conflict Resolution, Conflict Management, Moral Philosophy, Political Ideology, and Social Conflict
This paper is divided into two parts. Part I contains a critical analysis of psychological research on wisdom and its development. Although research on wisdom has exploded in recent decades, I argue that the scientific quest to “measure... more
This paper is divided into two parts. Part I contains a critical analysis of psychological research on wisdom and its development. Although research on wisdom has exploded in recent decades, I argue that the scientific quest to “measure wisdom” does more to obscure than illuminate the nature of wisdom. While most researchers agree that wisdom is not something that can be directly observed, many nonetheless seek ways to “measure wisdom” empirically (Ardelt, 2003; Glück, 2018; Glück et al., 2013; Thomas, Bangen, Ardelt, & Jeste, 2017; Webster, 2019). Such measures are often created by (a) asking respondents to identify qualities of “wise persons”, and then (b) developing questionnaires to assess the extent to which people exhibit commonly nominated qualities (Bluck & Glück, 2005; Denny, Dew & Kroupa, 1995). The result of such research is a kind of epistemic circularity: wisdom is defined in terms of lay beliefs about types of qualities exhibited by people who can be considered wise; people are then evaluated as wise to the extent that they are judged to exhibit those characteristics.
Part II of the paper attempts to address these problems. It contains a description of an intersubjective framework for understanding psychological science and the psychological analysis of wisdom in particular. An intersubjective approach begins with an analysis of the shared and contested meanings of “wisdom” as an a priori intersubjective category – complete with its evaluative connotations. Based on such an analysis, it is suggested that a wise decision is one that, informed by conceptions of the good, anticipates, coordinates and maximizes the good over the bad across the full range of concerns that define a given problem. Based on this definition, the discussion turns to a psychological study assessing development changes in wise decision-making in adults between the ages of 18-80. In so doing, drawing on models of skill development (Fischer, 1980; Mascolo & Bidell, 2020; Mascolo & Fischer, 2015) we identify developmental changes in the structure of wise decision-making over adulthood. The status of decisions as “wise” is evaluated from both first-person and socio-normative points of view.
Part II of the paper attempts to address these problems. It contains a description of an intersubjective framework for understanding psychological science and the psychological analysis of wisdom in particular. An intersubjective approach begins with an analysis of the shared and contested meanings of “wisdom” as an a priori intersubjective category – complete with its evaluative connotations. Based on such an analysis, it is suggested that a wise decision is one that, informed by conceptions of the good, anticipates, coordinates and maximizes the good over the bad across the full range of concerns that define a given problem. Based on this definition, the discussion turns to a psychological study assessing development changes in wise decision-making in adults between the ages of 18-80. In so doing, drawing on models of skill development (Fischer, 1980; Mascolo & Bidell, 2020; Mascolo & Fischer, 2015) we identify developmental changes in the structure of wise decision-making over adulthood. The status of decisions as “wise” is evaluated from both first-person and socio-normative points of view.
Research Interests: Developmental Psychology, Ethics, Applied Ethics, Moral Psychology, Virtue Ethics, and 15 moreCharacter Education, Virtues (Moral Psychology), Wisdom, Morality (Social Psychology), PHRONESIS, Moral Development, Adult development and Aging (Psychology), Virtue Epistemology, Moral Philosophy, Wisdom Literature, Moral, Morality, Local Wisdom, Adult Development, and Morality and Personhood
A key function of the university is to develop the knowledge required to address intellectual and social problems. The founding purpose of modern academy was to promote bildung – the cultivation of individual and society through... more
A key function of the university is to develop the knowledge required to address intellectual and social problems. The founding purpose of modern academy was to promote bildung – the cultivation of individual and society through education. However, achieving this requires integrating our understanding of the various systems of which selves and societies are constituted. The modern university is a fragmented institution in which research, teaching and service operate within more-or-less isolated disciplinary silos. Understanding the systems that make up selves and societies is beyond the reach of a fragmented academy. Transdisciplinarity invites us to coordinate and synthesize the expertise from multiple disciplinary traditions to understand and resolve complex problems. However, this approach is insufficient unless transdisciplinarity extends beyond mere shared problem-solving. It calls for the cultivation of the transdisciplinary spirit – a commitment to the idea that problems, values and purposes are prior to methods, procedures and disciplines. Our problems are human ones that require a rethinking of values, beliefs and practices that we live by. Thus, a transdisciplinary university would be one that not only brings disciplines together to pursue common purposes, but also seeks to move beyond knowledge to wisdom.
Research Interests: Knowledge Management, Higher Education, Transdisciplinarity, Philosophy of Transdisciplinarity, Applied Transdisciplinarity, and 14 moreJean Piaget, History of higher education, History of Universities, Learning And Teaching In Higher Education, Higher Education Management, Interdisciplinary Studies, Multidisciplinary, Interdisciplinary research (Social Sciences), Multidisciplinary design practices, TRANSDISCIPLINARY STUDIES, Humanities and Social Sciences, Knowledge Representation and Reasoning, Humanities and Social Science, and Impact of Social Sciences and Humanities
Is Business Just Business? We tend to think of business and love as occupying separate spheres of life. Business operates in the impersonal public sphere, whereas love occurs in the private or interpersonal sphere. Business practices are... more
Is Business Just Business? We tend to think of business and love as occupying separate spheres of life. Business operates in the impersonal public sphere, whereas love occurs in the private or interpersonal sphere. Business practices are largely separate and distinct from individual morals, societal values, and responsibility – what Freeman describes as the “separation thesis” (1994). There is, however, nothing natural or inevitable about this bifurcation. Indeed, the common belief that love properly belongs to the private sphere functions to protect business from its moral force. However, love is not something that is encased in the private sphere. It already exists within the practice of business. To the extent that self- interest is a form of self- love, it already exists, sotto voce, in the public sphere of business. If this is so, in business as in other forms of life, love of self will necessarily come into conflict with love for the other ( Macmurray, 1961 ). When this happens, love functions as a moral emotion ( Velleman, 1999 ). Our love for the other is self- arresting: it calls on us to include the other within the sphere of our own interests. In this way, in business as in everyday life, a moral identity is born.
Research Interests: Business, Organizational Behavior, Business Ethics, Organizational Psychology, Emotion, and 15 moreApplied Ethics, Moral Psychology, Organizational Communication, Virtue Ethics, Emotions (Social Psychology), Morality (Social Psychology), Moral Development, Moral Philosophy, Philosophy of Love, Moral emotions, Organizational Development, Theories of Love, Business Management, Love and Relationships, and Morality and Personhood
Discussions of morality in businesses and organization tend to center around the rights and freedoms of organizations and/or customers, or around the importance of socially responsible business practice. Rights-based deliberations are... more
Discussions of morality in businesses and organization tend to center around the rights and freedoms of organizations and/or customers, or around the importance of socially responsible business practice. Rights-based deliberations are often invoked to justify the pursuit of self-interest, either by the business or customer. Calls for socially responsible practices function to constrain the self-interest of organizations, or otherwise prompt businesses to "give back" to the communities they serve. In either case, genuinely moral motives are often seen as secondary to what is assumed to be the primary goal of businessthe pursuit of profit. We reject the common sense view that business and moral practice operate as separate spheres of activity. In so doing, we offer a relationalist conception of morality and moral development in everyday life. From a relationalist view, moral standards arise not from nature, God, the mind, or society. They emerge in embodied relational activity that occurs between people. Moral relationalism embraces neither moral universalism nor relativism, but instead views moral standards as a continuously emergent but constrained properties of discursive action that occurs between people as they negotiate and negotiate questions of "what ought to be" in physical and socio-cultural contexts. In this paper, we first show how the full range of moral standards arise in different forms of social relations between people. We then apply the moral relationalist framework to an analysis of the inescapable role of moral judgment in all business practices. In so doing, we suggest that business decision-making should be continuously informed by the tensions that arise between and among at least three moral frameworks: rights, virtue and care. We illustrate the moral relationalist approach to business through in-depth analyses of the moral mindsets of three entrepreneurs who integrate moral concerns into their business practices in different ways.
Research Interests: Business, Organizational Behavior, Business Ethics, Developmental Psychology, Ethics, and 14 moreApplied Ethics, Moral Psychology, Organizational Communication, Virtue Ethics, Virtues (Moral Psychology), Morality (Social Psychology), Relational Communication, Moral Development, Adult Development And Aging, Moral Philosophy, Moral and Political Philosophy, Business Management, The Ethics of Care, and Morality and Personhood
Page 1. http://pds.sagepub.com/ Societies Psychology & Developing http://pds.sagepub. com/content/14/1/55 The online version of this article can be found at: DOI: 10.1177/097133360201400105 2002 14: 55 Psychology Developing ...
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Constructivism refers to the idea that persons create knowledge and meaning through an active process of structuring and restructuring their experience. From this view, knowledge is neither imposed onto the child by instruction, nor is it... more
Constructivism refers to the idea that persons create knowledge and meaning through an active process of structuring and restructuring their experience. From this view, knowledge is neither imposed onto the child by instruction, nor is it an innate property of the mind (Mascolo & Pollack, 1997). Currently, there is a debate among educators about the nature of the constructive processes
Research Interests: Cognitive Psychology, Developmental Psychology, Education, Cognitive development, Constructivism, and 15 moreEarly Childhood Education, Child Development, Constructivist Education, Education Systems, Developmental Stages, Educations, Early Childhood Curriculum, Early Childhood Development, Holistic child development, Constructivist Learning, Constructivist Approaches, Constructivisme, Construction Process, Educational Theories, and Assessment of quality of early education
In this paper, we identify the types of issues that should be addressed in order to construct integrative theories of psychological development. These issues include assessment of the philosophical presuppositions of developmental theory;... more
In this paper, we identify the types of issues that should be addressed in order to construct integrative theories of psychological development. These issues include assessment of the philosophical presuppositions of developmental theory; identifying an integrative unit of analyzing psychological activity; conceptualizing the meaning and nature of developmental change -- and especially transformations in the contextualized structure of action; developing dynamic methodology to assess trajectories in the structure of action over time; assessing multiply-nested processes that spur developmental change, and assessing the self-organization of complexity at multiple levels of analysis. An integrative model of psychological development is a dynamic model that acknowledges that any given human act reflects a the moment-by-moment integration of biological, psychological and socio-cultural processes.
Research Interests: Psychology, Social Psychology, Developmental Psychology, Self-Organization, Contextualism, and 15 moreEmbodied Cognition, Child Development, Discursive Psychology, Radical Constructivism, Jean Piaget, Complex Systems, Theories Of Personality, Intersubjectivity, Social Developmental Psychology, Vygotsky, Social Constructionism/ Constructivism, Enactivism, Dynamical Systems Approach to Cognition, Developmental Stages, and Dynamic Systems and Control
The coronavirus pandemic poses an existential challenge to many aspects of society. Responding effectively to the systemic challenges of the coronavirus requires more than merely girding one's loins. In the short-term, it has required... more
The coronavirus pandemic poses an existential challenge to many aspects of society. Responding effectively to the systemic challenges of the coronavirus requires more than merely girding one's loins. In the short-term, it has required swift action to manage the immediate force of the pandemic. In the long-term, for many sectors of society, adapting to the pandemic may require nothing less than reflecting upon and reinventing longstanding assumptions, systems and practices. We propose a model of transformative problem-solving to support the dynamic adaptation of communities, organizations and individuals in the face of the coronavirus pandemic. The model calls for reflexivity about basic assumptions, goals, values and practices that structure teaching and learning in the academy, and proposes ways to evaluate and transform complex and entrenched institutional systems in a time of extended crisis. We illustrate the approach with examples of innovative organizational adaptations that have emerged as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
Research Interests: Social Psychology, Leadership, Constructivism, Social Problems, Creative Problem Solving, and 14 moreProblem solving (Education), Reflexivity, Transformational Leadership, Social Constructionism/ Constructivism, Leadership Development, Organizations as complex adaptive systems, Leadership Theory, Problem Solving, Systems Thinking and Problem Solving, Political leadership, Leadership styles, Strategic Management and Leadership, Coronavirus COVID-19, and COVID-19 PANDEMIC
In his important book, Tom Digby argues that warrior societies breed warrior masculinities-conceptions of masculinity organized around the goals of protection, providing and procreation. Misogyny is built into warrior masculinities and... more
In his important book, Tom Digby argues that warrior societies breed warrior masculinities-conceptions of masculinity organized around the goals of protection, providing and procreation. Misogyny is built into warrior masculinities and functions to preserve a binary conception of gender. In this reply, I applaud Digby's analysis of warrior identities and his call for the transformation of masculine identities in the service of reaching gender parity. I take issue with two polarizing claims-namely that gender identities emerge through a process of "cultural programming", and that misogyny is a central property of warrior masculinity. In place of these assertions, I offer a bio-cultural account of the development of gender identity. I argue that the goal of gender parity requires that we move beyond polarizing modes of adversarial discourse. In its place, we should seek social transformation through a dialectical approach that integrates the goals of power equalization and mutual understanding.
Research Interests: Social Psychology, Developmental Psychology, Gender Studies, Gender and Sexuality, Identity politics, and 15 moreGender, Masculinity, Polarization (Ideology), Gender Roles, Gender and Development, Conflict Resolution, Gender and Politics, Gender Identity, Political Discourse, Gender Differences, Sex Differences, Misogyny, Gender Politics, Gender Issues and Politics, and Changing Pattern of Gender Roles
In this article, I outline a relational-developmental conception of emotion that situates emotional activity within a broader conception of persons as holistic, relational beings. In this model, emotions consist of felt forms of... more
In this article, I outline a relational-developmental conception of emotion that situates emotional activity within a broader conception of persons as holistic, relational beings. In this model, emotions consist of felt forms of engagement with the world. As felt aspects of ongoing action, uninhibited emotional experiences are not private states that are inaccessible to other people; instead, they are revealed directly through their bodily expressions. As multicomponent processes, emotional experiences exhibit both continuity and dramatic change in development. Building on these ideas, I describe an intersubjective methodology for studying developmental changes in the structure of emotional experience. I illustrate the approach with an analysis of developmental
changes in the structure of anger from birth to adulthood.
changes in the structure of anger from birth to adulthood.
Research Interests: Developmental Psychology, Emotion, Anger, Constructivism, Embodied Cognition, and 14 moreChild Development, Discursive Psychology, Philosophy of the Emotions, Emotional Development, Intersubjectivity, Social Developmental Psychology, Social Constructionism, Wittgenstein, Social Constructionism/ Constructivism, Affect/Emotion, Enactivism, Language and Emotion, Social Emotional Learning, and Embodied and Enactive Cognition
Fischer's (1980) Dynamic Skill Theory provides an example of an integrative model of psychological development. Elaborated over the course of 40 years, skill theory evolved from a neo-Piagetian model of the development of action and... more
Fischer's (1980) Dynamic Skill Theory provides an example of an integrative model of psychological development. Elaborated over the course of 40 years, skill theory evolved from a neo-Piagetian model of the development of action and though to an integrative model of how biological, psychological and socio-cultural processes interact to foster the development of integrative structures of thinking, feeling and action over time. This paper elaborates the fundamental tenets of dynamic skill theory as it developed over time and as it has been applied to the study of multiple modes of human functioning.
Research Interests: Developmental Psychology, Cognitive development, Educational Psychology, Child Development, Jean Piaget, and 14 moreHuman Development, Mind Brain & Education, Emotional Development, Theories Of Personality, Skills Development, Social Developmental Psychology, Brain and Cognitive Development, History Of Psychology, Adult Development And Aging, Vygotsky, Vygotsky's Sociocultural Theory, Educational Psychology and Counseling, History of Psychology - Psychology Education - Psychology, and Life-Span Development
This paper contains a relational model of self and personality development. From a relationalist perspective, personality does not consist of a series of static traits that are located within individuals. While there is stability in... more
This paper contains a relational model of self and personality development. From a relationalist perspective, personality does not consist of a series of static traits that are located within individuals. While there is stability in human action there is also dramatic variability. People develop and exhibit multiple selves in different contexts and different social relationships. Selves are reflective control structures -- relational representations of "who we are" that guide our interactions with others. Although different, our diverse selves operate as aspects of the same individual person. This paper elaborates this idea in the context of a series of ideographic analyses of self and personality development in individuals, and in epigenetic analysis of dynamic personality dispositions over the course of development.
Research Interests: Personality Psychology, Developmental Psychology, Self and Identity, Personality, The big five, and 14 moreSelf-Organization, Personality Assessment, Discursive Social Psychology, Discursive Psychology, Dialogical Psychology, Emotional Development, Theories Of Personality, The Self, Social Developmental Psychology, Dynamical Systems Approach to Cognition, Self-awareness, Dialogical Self Theory, Personality Development, and Self Representation
Zagaria, Andò & Zannaro (2020) have aptly suggested that as a discipline, psychology is a giant with feet of clay. Drawing on the content of introductory textbooks, the authors show that there is little coherence and consensus about the... more
Zagaria, Andò & Zannaro (2020) have aptly suggested that as a discipline, psychology is a giant with feet of clay. Drawing on the content of introductory textbooks, the authors show that there is little coherence and consensus about the meaning of key psychological terms – including such terms as psychology, mind, behavior. Drawing on evidence marking psychology is a “soft” science, the authors suggest that psychology can profit by adopting the “hard” foundation of evolutionary psychology as its metatheory. While Zagaria, Andò & Zannaro characterization of psychology’s fractious foundation has deep merit, their desire to erect a psychological metatheory on evolutionary psychology is unlikely to solve the problem they so aptly identify. At the least, I suggest a unified metatheory must: (a) establish a shared psychological lexicon; (b) elaborate a methodology that coordinates first-, second- and third-person modes of inquiry, and (c) develop a process model that describes how psychological functioning at the biological, psychological and socio-cultural levels of analysis. To illustrate, I describe how contemporary relational and systems frameworks provide a framework that can move us in these directions.
Research Interests:
In recent decades, we have witnessed increasing polarization, divisiveness and hostility in political discourse. This paper outlines a relational-dialectical approach to constructive political discourse. Instead of treating political... more
In recent decades, we have witnessed increasing polarization, divisiveness and hostility in political discourse. This paper outlines a relational-dialectical approach to constructive political discourse. Instead of treating political discourse as competition over clashing positions, the relational approach seeks ways to bridge political differences through dialectical engagement. The process is organized around three principles: (a) the focus on needs and problems rather than political positions, (b) deep sociality, and (c) the dialectical construction of novel forms of thinking through the integration of opposites. I illustrate these principles in the context of political discourse related to gun violence in the United States.
Research Interests: Developmental Psychology, Political Philosophy, Communication, Peace and Conflict Studies, Political Psychology, and 15 moreConstructivism, Conflict, Political Science, Social Cognition, Language and Ideology, Politics, Ideology, Political communication, Polarization (Ideology), Conflict Resolution, Conflict Management, Dialectic, Social Constructionism/ Constructivism, Ideology and Discourse Analysis, and Peace & Conflict Studies
Intersubjectivity consists of the mutual coordination, incorporation and sharing of meaning and experience between people over time. The study of intersubjectivity raises difficult conceptual and meth-odological issues. Defined as a form... more
Intersubjectivity consists of the mutual coordination, incorporation and sharing of meaning and experience between people over time. The study of intersubjectivity raises difficult conceptual and meth-odological issues. Defined as a form of mutually coordinated experience , intersubjective processes are those that occur between rather than merely within persons. As such, the concept of intersubjectivity incorporates but extends beyond related concepts such as sociality, commonality, and perspective taking. To the extent that intersubject-ive processes are relational ones, their study requires the ability to analyze forms of engagement that occur between rather than merely within individual actors. We suggest that the most basic way to assess intersubjectivity involves recruiting the human capacity for intersubjective engagement itself as a primary method of psychological research. Toward this end, drawing on existing studies involving moment-by-moment observation of videotaped interaction, we track the developmental changes of different forms of intersubjective engagement as they occur between infants and their caregivers. Building on this work, we propose and illustrate methods for identifying moment-by-moment changes in sociality and intersubjective engagement as they occur in verbal and nonverbal joint action among adults. ARTICLE HISTORY How do people gain the capacity to identify psychological experience in themselves and in other people? The study of experience has long been a challenge to scientific psychology. Psychological science was founded on the value of objectivity. Invoking the concept of objectivity, behavior is understood as external, objective and publicly observable, while psychological experience is understood as internal, subjective and private. From this viewpoint, individuals are assumed to have privileged access to their own psychological experiences (MacDonald, 2014), while the experiences of the self are inaccessible to third-person observers. Despite the intuitive appeal of these ideas, they raise deep problems: how is it possible for people to form shared representations of experiences that are by definition private? Traditional answers invoke the concepts of introspection and projection. Knowledge of one's own experience comes from introspection: first-person experiencers "look within" themselves, identify experience, and then use words to communicate those experiences.
Research Interests: Developmental Psychology, Communication, Psychotherapy and Counseling, Embodied Cognition, Social Cognition, and 12 morePhenomenological Psychology, Phenomenology, Embodied Mind and Cognition, Relational Communication, Intersubjectivity, Developmental Social Psychology, Socio-cultural theory, Social Constructionism/ Constructivism, Enactivism, Social Development, Embodied and Enactive Cognition, and Phenomenology of Intersubjectivity
In this paper, we elaborate a relational model of morality and its development. In so doing ,we elaborate the concept of moral relationalism -- the idea that moral systems emerge not from nature, God, evolution, innate ideas or... more
In this paper, we elaborate a relational model of morality and its development. In so doing ,we elaborate the concept of moral relationalism -- the idea that moral systems emerge not from nature, God, evolution, innate ideas or individual persons; instead they emerge as a product of relations between people. Moral values are symbolic systems of strong evaluation that emerge as a product of the ways in which people solve human problems. In this paper, we elaborate the moral relationalist perspective and show how it can guide theory and research on moral development in individuals.
Research Interests: Social Psychology, Developmental Psychology, Ethics, Moral Psychology, Embodied Cognition, and 15 moreSocial Cognition, Human Development, Intersubjectivity, Moral Development, Social Developmental Psychology, Socio-cultural theory, Moral Philosophy, Moral Education, Moral, Moral Relativism, Social Development, Morality, Socio-Cultural Anthropology, Relational Ontology, and Morals
This paper advances a relational conception of emotions and their development. From a relational view, emotions consist of felt forms of organismic engagement with the world. As modes of engagement, different emotions are organized in... more
This paper advances a relational conception of emotions and their development. From a relational view, emotions consist of felt forms of organismic engagement with the world. As modes of engagement, different emotions are organized in terms of different relations between a person’s motives and circumstances. As modes of engagement, emotions are aspects of ongoing adaptive action - emergent configurations of motivational, perceptual, experiential, expressive and motor processes organized around a particular way of relating to the world. The idea that emotions are felt modes of engagement identifies experience as a primary aspect of emotional life. Building upon a biological grounding, emotions undergo structural change as they develop within intersubjectively-structured exchanges with others. The relational model is illustrated with an analysis of structural changes in jealousy and envy over the course of their development.
Research Interests: Psychology, Social Psychology, Emotion, Emotional intelligence, Envy (Psychology), and 9 moreEmotional Development, Emotions (Social Psychology), Philosophy of Emotion, Emotional Intelligence (Psychology), Affect/Emotion, Cognition and Emotion, Social Emotional Development, Jealousy, and Romantic Jealousy
Higher education is being deeply challenged by the coronavirus. The immediate threats of the coronavirus come at the heels of an existing panoply of problems that already threaten higher education as we know it. These include, of course,... more
Higher education is being deeply challenged by the coronavirus. The immediate threats of the coronavirus come at the heels of an existing panoply of problems that already threaten higher education as we know it. These include, of course, the looming enrollment crisis, the high cost of higher education, intractable student debt, the corporatization of education, limited learning on campus, and a general loss of faith in higher education among many sectors of the nation. How are colleges and universities to respond to these challenges? This paper calls upon colleges and universities to consider the need for structural transformation in order to adapt to the multiple crises facing higher education. Toward this end, using the coronavirus crisis as a point of entry, I propose a model of transformative problem-solving to support the dynamic adaptation of higher education. The model calls for deep reflexivity about basic assumptions, goals, values and practices that structure teaching and learning in the academy, and proposes ways to evaluate and transform complex and entrenched institutional systems in a time of extended crisis. I illustrate the approach with a description of how a single college program is preparing for structural changes brought forth by the coronavirus. Turning attention to the broader crises facing the academy, I call for a need to reflect upon, rethink and consider the fate of goals, values and practices have been long been considered sacred in higher education.
Research Interests: Psychology, Education, Educational Leadership, Higher Education, Leadership, and 8 moreEducational Psychology, Crisis Management, Transformational Leadership, Learning And Teaching In Higher Education, Higher Education Management, Higher Education Policy, Collaborative Problem Solving, and Educational management and leadership
We are honored at the opportunity to exchange ideas with three scholars for whom we have deep respect and admiration. In what follows, we clarify our thinking in response to a series of erudite and penetrating comments produced by Gabriel... more
We are honored at the opportunity to exchange ideas with three scholars for whom we have deep respect and admiration. In what follows, we clarify our thinking in response to a series of erudite and penetrating comments produced by Gabriel Chiari, Lisa Osbeck, and Tom Strong. In so doing, we attempt to move beyond the practice of merely defending our arguments. Instead, in the spirit of what we have called intersubjective corroboration, we seek to clarify our arguments in relation to the issues raised by the reviewers, and to identify how their insights can foster further development in our conception of the psychological sciences.
Research Interests: Psychology, Developmental Psychology, Epistemology, Philosophy of Science, Constructivism, and 9 morePhilosophy of Psychology, Theoretical Psychology, Discursive Psychology, Phenomenology, Philosophy of Social Science, Social Constructionism, Social Constructivism, Social Constructionism/ Constructivism, and Epistemology of the Social Sciences
We outline the concept of intersubjective corroboration as an epistemology for psychological science. Psychological knowledge arises neither from subjectivity nor objectivity, but from intersubjective processes that occur between people.... more
We outline the concept of intersubjective corroboration as an epistemology for psychological science. Psychological knowledge arises neither from subjectivity nor objectivity, but from intersubjective processes that occur between people. Intersubjective corroboration holds that psychological inquiry is optimally organized around three mutually-constituting activities: Conceptual coordination involves clarifying a priori theoretical concepts by subjecting them to rigorous philosophical analysis. Intersubjective engagement is the research process itself -- a form of establishing intersubjectivity with participants. Intersubjective corroboration consists of verifying knowledge claims through the corroboration of multiple sources of evidence. We illustrate the approach in a study on the identification of emotion.
Research Interests: Psychology, Epistemology, Constructivism, Philosophy of Psychology, Theoretical Psychology, and 14 moreSociocultural Theory, Critical Psychology, Discursive Psychology, Phenomenology, Constructionism, Critical Social Psychology, Postmodernism, Intersubjectivity, Social Constructionism, Hermeneutic Phenomenology, Social Constructionism/ Constructivism, Relationality, Epistemology of the Social Sciences, and Relational Ontology
Is it possible to reconcile the concept of conscious agency with the view that humans are biological creatures subject to material causality? The problem of conscious agency is complicated by the tendency to attribute autonomous powers of... more
Is it possible to reconcile the concept of conscious agency with the view that humans are biological creatures subject to material causality? The problem of conscious agency is complicated by the tendency to attribute autonomous powers of control to conscious processes. In this paper, we offer an embodied process model of conscious agency. We begin with the concept of embodied emergence – the idea that psychological processes are higher-order biological processes, albeit ones that exhibit emergent properties. Although consciousness, experience, and representation are emergent properties of higher-order biological organisms, the capacity for hierarchical regulation is a property of all living systems. Thus, while the capacity for consciousness transforms the process of hierarchical regulation, consciousness is not an autonomous center of control. Instead, consciousness functions as a system for coordinating novel representations of the most pressing demands placed on the organism at any given time. While it does not regulate action directly, consciousness orients and activates preconscious control systems that mediate the construction of genuinely novel action. Far from being an epiphenomenon, consciousness plays a central albeit non-autonomous role in psychological functioning.
Research Interests: Personality Psychology, Emotion, Philosophy of Mind, Philosophy of Agency, Self and Identity, and 11 moreControl Theory, Embodiment, Embedded Systems, Consciousness, Free Will, Enactivism, Emergence, Self-regulation, Agency, Embodied and Enactive Cognition, and Philosophy of mind Free will and Consciousness
To what do we refer when we speak of self? How does self differ from related concepts, such as person, agent, individual or organism? I address these questions by situating the concept of self within a broader model of relational... more
To what do we refer when we speak of self? How
does self differ from related concepts, such as person, agent,
individual or organism? I address these questions by situating
the concept of self within a broader model of relational personhood.
In this conception, persons are relational beingswho
act on the basis of the meaning that events have for them. The
experience of self is implicit in the very structure of action.As
such, the experience of self emerges in early infancy as a
reflexive aspect of action and develops within intersubjective
encounters with caregivers. The capacity to represent self
becomes transformed in the second year of life with the
emergence of the capacity for symbolism. At this point, in
intersubjective exchanges with others, consciousness gains
the capacity to take itself as its own object of awareness. The
development of higher-order representations of self is mediated
through the discursive use cultural tools—most notably
language. Over time, children and adults construct valued
images of self which come to function as self-defining goals
that drive social activity. In this way, the quest for a valued
identity becomes a defining aspect of the developing person.
does self differ from related concepts, such as person, agent,
individual or organism? I address these questions by situating
the concept of self within a broader model of relational personhood.
In this conception, persons are relational beingswho
act on the basis of the meaning that events have for them. The
experience of self is implicit in the very structure of action.As
such, the experience of self emerges in early infancy as a
reflexive aspect of action and develops within intersubjective
encounters with caregivers. The capacity to represent self
becomes transformed in the second year of life with the
emergence of the capacity for symbolism. At this point, in
intersubjective exchanges with others, consciousness gains
the capacity to take itself as its own object of awareness. The
development of higher-order representations of self is mediated
through the discursive use cultural tools—most notably
language. Over time, children and adults construct valued
images of self which come to function as self-defining goals
that drive social activity. In this way, the quest for a valued
identity becomes a defining aspect of the developing person.
Research Interests:
This paper outlines a relational–dialectical approach to managing cultural diversity. Instead of looking at cultural diversity either through the lens of ethnocentrism or multiculturalism, the relational–dialectical view embraces the goal... more
This paper outlines a relational–dialectical
approach to managing cultural diversity. Instead of looking
at cultural diversity either through the lens of ethnocentrism
or multiculturalism, the relational–dialectical view
embraces the goal of creating intercultural selves and
communities. The relational approach seeks ways to bridge
cultural conflict through radical sociality and dialectical
engagement. The process is organized around three principles:
(a) engaging the humanity of the cultural other,
(b) identifying culturally embedded needs, values and
ideologies of conflicting individuals and groups, and
(c) synthesizing novel forms of meaning and relating
through the process of dialectical engagement. As a form
of collaborative problem solving, dialectical engagement is
the process of constructing novel ways of being and
relating through the integration of opposites. We illustrate
the process with the example of intercultural dialogue
between a Bhutanese-American woman and her family.
approach to managing cultural diversity. Instead of looking
at cultural diversity either through the lens of ethnocentrism
or multiculturalism, the relational–dialectical view
embraces the goal of creating intercultural selves and
communities. The relational approach seeks ways to bridge
cultural conflict through radical sociality and dialectical
engagement. The process is organized around three principles:
(a) engaging the humanity of the cultural other,
(b) identifying culturally embedded needs, values and
ideologies of conflicting individuals and groups, and
(c) synthesizing novel forms of meaning and relating
through the process of dialectical engagement. As a form
of collaborative problem solving, dialectical engagement is
the process of constructing novel ways of being and
relating through the integration of opposites. We illustrate
the process with the example of intercultural dialogue
between a Bhutanese-American woman and her family.
Research Interests:
The concept of self is a multi-faceted one that is used by different theorists in different ways. In this paper, we present an overview of the dominant themes and images that structure conceptions of self as used by psychologists,... more
The concept of self is a multi-faceted one that is
used by different theorists in different ways. In this paper,
we present an overview of the dominant themes and images
that structure conceptions of self as used by psychologists,
sociologists, philosophers and other scholars. In order for
concepts like self and identity to be meaningful, it is necessary
that we compare and clarify their various uses,
identify the different aspects of experience that they are
intended to illuminate, and seek to consolidate them in
ways that are coherent and integrative. In this paper, we
identify four broad models of self in psychology: self as
inner life, social conceptions of identity, relational conceptions
of self and conceptions of self based on group
identifications. We offer this typology as an initial framework
for coordinating different conceptions of self and
identity.
used by different theorists in different ways. In this paper,
we present an overview of the dominant themes and images
that structure conceptions of self as used by psychologists,
sociologists, philosophers and other scholars. In order for
concepts like self and identity to be meaningful, it is necessary
that we compare and clarify their various uses,
identify the different aspects of experience that they are
intended to illuminate, and seek to consolidate them in
ways that are coherent and integrative. In this paper, we
identify four broad models of self in psychology: self as
inner life, social conceptions of identity, relational conceptions
of self and conceptions of self based on group
identifications. We offer this typology as an initial framework
for coordinating different conceptions of self and
identity.
Research Interests:
The contemporary academy is suffering from a crisis in meaning. Its humanistic core has given way to disciplinary specialization. Scholars pursue their agendas within local specializations, often unware of outside scholarship that has... more
The contemporary academy is suffering from a crisis in meaning. Its humanistic core has given way to disciplinary specialization. Scholars pursue their agendas within local specializations, often unware of outside scholarship that has deep implications for their work. Disciplines prepare career-minded students for individual professions or further localized study. There is arguably no core ideas that structure the scholarly and teaching missions of the academy. While academic fragmentation has many sources, one involves the longstanding science-humanities antinomy. From within this schism, the sciences produce reliable, useful and objective knowledge, while the humanities produce speculative, inconsistent and subjective belief. This divide, however, is based on a false premise, namely the objective-subjective dichotomy itself. Drawing upon Husserl’s concept of intersubjectivity within a shared lifeworld, I argue that the sciences and humanities share a common intersubjective basis. Neither alone can address the crisis of meaning that infects academy and society alike. Given their common foundation, the sciences and humanities can be understood to function with reference to a shared academic purpose: the cultivation of knowledge for the good of humanity. This “idea” acknowledges the complementarity of disciplines in advancing a common objective – one that incorporates descriptive and axiological dimensions of scholarly and social life.
Research Interests: Education, Humanities, History of Education, Philosophy of Education, Higher Education, and 23 morePhenomenology, Transformation of University Systems, Philosophy of Higher Education, Edmund Husserl, History of higher education, Assessment in Higher Education, Intersubjectivity, Sociology of Ethics and Morality, Hermeneutic Phenomenology, Humanism, Learning And Teaching In Higher Education, Higher Education Management, Theory of the good life (Philosophy), Higher Education Policy, College student development, Husserlian phenomenology, Liberal arts, Social Sciences and Humanities, University, the History and Theory of Liberal Arts Education, Humanities and Social Sciences, Idea of University, and Impact of Social Sciences and Humanities
Research Interests: Personality Psychology, Social Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy of Mind, Communication, and 15 moreMoral Psychology, Self and Identity, Personality, Discursive Social Psychology, Discursive Psychology, Phenomenology, Dialogical Psychology, Personhood, Personhood as Relational, Personal and Moral Autonomy, Relational Communication, Intersubjectivity, Moral Philosophy, Dialogical Self Theory, and Phenomenology of Intersubjectivity
As a science, psychology embraces the value of objectivity. An objective observation is one that is (a) based upon publically observable phenomena (i.e., overt behavior); (b) unbiased, in the sense that it records only what was observed,... more
As a science, psychology embraces the value of objectivity. An objective observation is one that is (a) based upon publically observable phenomena (i.e., overt behavior); (b) unbiased, in the sense that it records only what was observed, without either adding or taking away from the observation, and (c) an accurate representation of the world as it truly is. To understand the person, however, it is necessary to come to grips with seemingly elusive concepts such as agency, symbolism, experience, meaning, inter-subjectivity, and morality. Such concepts make reference to phenomena that are not observable in way that one can observe objects in the physical world of space and time. In this paper, I examine how psychology's commitment to objectivity obscures our ability to understand persons. A remnant of the Cartesian distinction between a mind and body, the principle of objectivity forces psychologists to seek " objective " indicators of " subjective " processes. Following Wittgenstein and recent research on the mirror resonance system, I argue that psychological knowledge arises neither from within (subjectively) nor from without (objectively), but instead from between (intersubjectively). To understand what it means to be a person, we must abandon the false distinction between objectivity and subjectivity, and embrace an epistemology based on intersubjectivity.
Research Interests: Psychology, Cognitive Science, Personality Psychology, Social Psychology, Developmental Psychology, and 18 morePhilosophy, Philosophy of Mind, Epistemology, Philosophy of Science, Social Sciences, Theory of Mind, Discursive Psychology, Phenomenology, Dialogical Psychology, Relational Communication, Philosophy of Social Science, Intersubjectivity, Social Developmental Psychology, Social Epistemology, Knowledge Of Other Minds, Objectivity, Dialogical Self Theory, and Philosophy of (Social) Science
This paper is divided into two parts. Part I contains a critical analysis of psychological research on wisdom and its development. Although research on wisdom has exploded in recent decades, I argue that the scientific quest to “measure... more
This paper is divided into two parts. Part I contains a critical analysis of psychological research on wisdom and its development. Although research on wisdom has exploded in recent decades, I argue that the scientific quest to “measure wisdom” does more to obscure than illuminate the nature of wisdom. While most researchers agree that wisdom is not something that can be directly observed, many nonetheless seek ways to “measure wisdom” empirically (Ardelt, 2003; Glück, 2018; Glück et al., 2013; Thomas, Bangen, Ardelt, & Jeste, 2017; Webster, 2019). Such measures are often created by (a) asking respondents to identify qualities of “wise persons”, and then (b) developing questionnaires to assess the extent to which people exhibit commonly nominated qualities (Bluck & Glück, 2005; Denny, Dew & Kroupa, 1995). The result of such research is a kind of epistemic circularity: wisdom is defined in terms of lay beliefs about types of qualities exhibited by people who can be considered wise; people are then evaluated as wise to the extent that they are judged to exhibit those characteristics.
Part II of the paper attempts to address these problems. It contains a description of an intersubjective framework for understanding psychological science and the psychological analysis of wisdom in particular. An intersubjective approach begins with an analysis of the shared and contested meanings of “wisdom” as an a priori intersubjective category – complete with its evaluative connotations. Based on such an analysis, it is suggested that a wise decision is one that, informed by conceptions of the good, anticipates, coordinates and maximizes the good over the bad across the full range of concerns that define a given problem. Based on this definition, the discussion turns to a psychological study assessing development changes in wise decision-making in adults between the ages of 18-80. In so doing, drawing on models of skill development (Fischer, 1980; Mascolo & Bidell, 2020; Mascolo & Fischer, 2015) we identify developmental changes in the structure of wise decision-making over adulthood. The status of decisions as “wise” is evaluated from both first-person and socio-normative points of view.
Part II of the paper attempts to address these problems. It contains a description of an intersubjective framework for understanding psychological science and the psychological analysis of wisdom in particular. An intersubjective approach begins with an analysis of the shared and contested meanings of “wisdom” as an a priori intersubjective category – complete with its evaluative connotations. Based on such an analysis, it is suggested that a wise decision is one that, informed by conceptions of the good, anticipates, coordinates and maximizes the good over the bad across the full range of concerns that define a given problem. Based on this definition, the discussion turns to a psychological study assessing development changes in wise decision-making in adults between the ages of 18-80. In so doing, drawing on models of skill development (Fischer, 1980; Mascolo & Bidell, 2020; Mascolo & Fischer, 2015) we identify developmental changes in the structure of wise decision-making over adulthood. The status of decisions as “wise” is evaluated from both first-person and socio-normative points of view.
Research Interests: Developmental Psychology, Ethics, Applied Ethics, Moral Psychology, Self and Identity, and 15 moreDecision Making, Virtue Ethics, Embodied Mind and Cognition, Human Development, Wisdom, Personhood, Morality (Social Psychology), Intersubjectivity, Moral Development, Adult development and Aging (Psychology), Moral Philosophy, Wisdom Literature, Naturalistic Fallacy, Moral, and Morality and Personhood
Higher education is being deeply challenged by the coronavirus. The immediate threats of the coronavirus come at the heels of an existing panoply of problems that already threaten higher education as we know it. These include, of course,... more
Higher education is being deeply challenged by the coronavirus. The immediate threats of the coronavirus come at the heels of an existing panoply of problems that already threaten higher education as we know it. These include, of course, the looming enrollment crisis, the high cost of higher education, intractable student debt, the corporatization of education, limited learning on campus, and a general loss of faith in higher education among many sectors of the nation. How are colleges and universities to respond to these challenges? This paper calls upon colleges and universities to consider the need for structural transformation in order to adapt to the multiple crises facing higher education. Toward this end, using the coronavirus crisis as a point of entry, I propose a model of transformative problem-solving to support the dynamic adaptation of higher education. The model calls for deep reflexivity about basic assumptions, goals, values and practices that structure teaching and learning in the academy, and proposes ways to evaluate and transform complex and entrenched institutional systems in a time of extended crisis. I illustrate the approach with a description of how a single college program is preparing for structural changes brought forth by the coronavirus. Turning attention to the broader crises facing the academy, I call for a need to reflect upon, rethink and consider the fate of goals, values and practices have been long been considered sacred in higher education.
Research Interests: Social Change, Education, Sociology of Education, Higher Education, Educational Psychology, and 15 moreSustainability in Higher Education, Crisis communication and management, Crisis Management, Transformation of University Systems, Transformational Leadership, Online Learning, Learning And Teaching In Higher Education, Higher Education Management, Quality assurance in Higher Education, Blended Learning, Higher Education Policy, Blended learning in higher education, Social transformation, Educational management and leadership, and Program Transformation
Like many who were displeased by the results of the Presidential election, I am suffering. I alternate between disbelief, anger and grief. I believe – along with 2/3 of the electorate-that our President-Elect is astonishingly unqualified... more
Like many who were displeased by the results of the Presidential election, I am suffering. I alternate between disbelief, anger and grief. I believe – along with 2/3 of the electorate-that our President-Elect is astonishingly unqualified to hold the single most powerful office in the nation. I am afraid. What should we do? Protest and launch counter-offensives? Shame Trump supporters as racists and bigots? Engage them in debate to convince them of the errors of their ways? No. In fact, this how we got into this mess. While we must oppose and even drive Trump from office, this will do nothing to narrow the distance between red and blue. Denouncing the character of an opponent may feel good, but it only serves to foment humiliation and anger. And when was the last time you were convinced by someone telling you that you are wrong? The schism that is our status quo is unsustainable. Our democratic traditions of debate, compromise and tolerance have collapsed. We need a new start. Is it possible to vigorously oppose the utterly intolerable policies of the President-Elect while simultaneously finding ways to bridge our ideological divide? Yes – but not by engaging in business as usual. We need to engage in a form of uncompromising engagement. This involves the coexistence of seemingly opposing forces. The first is the steadfast, uncompromising commitment to core beliefs and interests as we face the policies and practices to come; the second is the genuine attempt to understand, care about and even address the core interests, concerns and fears that motivate the positions and policies we find intolerable. Uncompromising engagement is based on the simple idea that even though we may vehemently oppose our interlocutor's views, it is nonetheless possible to understand and even empathize with the concerns that motivate them. While our positions may be incompatible, the interests motivate them may not be. When we identify with the humanity of the other, it becomes possible to create common ground – even with those who endorse positions we hate. Consider, as but one example, the issue of gun violence. Anti-gun advocates argue that regulating gun access can reduce gun violence; pro-gun advocates maintain that second amendment protects their right to gun ownership. These positions are largely incompatible. Attempts of one party to convince the other are unlikely to be effective. In uncompromising engagement, we identify our core interests and refuse to give in on them. At the same time, we seek to understand the problems that our interlocutors are trying to solve. If we are able to put aside our own biases long enough, we will often find some degree of sympathy with the other's problems and plights. Doing so, we might find that gun control advocates value their individual freedoms and fear a way of life will be taken from them; in contrast, gun-control advocates value public safety and fear the impact of guns in the wrong hands. While the surface positions of pro-and anti-gun advocates conflict, many of their deeply-held interests do not. Gun owners value certainly value public safety; gun control advocates appreciate individual freedom. As such, the question becomes: " How can we ensure-without either party compromising their core interests-both freedom of gun ownership and public safety? " It is only at this point that genuine problem solving can begin. When each party sees that the other cares about-rather than dismisses-their problem, they can begin to build novel solutions to the problem of meeting each party's underlying needs. As this occurs, trust begins to develop, and the surface positions that initially divided the parties can begin to dissolve.
Review of C. Wainryb, H.E. Recchia (Eds.) (2014). Talking about right and wrong: Parent-child conversations as contexts for moral development,
Cambridge University Press Cambridge, UK.
Cambridge University Press Cambridge, UK.
Research Interests: Discourse Analysis, Psychology, Social Psychology, Developmental Psychology, Philosophy, and 22 moreEthics, Moral Psychology, Social Sciences, Discursive Social Psychology, Discursive Psychology, Dialogical Psychology, Discourse, Morality (Social Psychology), Moral Development, Social Developmental Psychology, Sociology of Ethics and Morality, Developmental Social Psychology, Moral and Ethical Issues in Science, Moral Philosophy, Ideology and Discourse Analysis, Moral Education, Moral, Social Development, Dialogical Self Theory, Moral Judgment, Morality, and Cultural mediation
The online and print forum promoting the development of children, families and the parents who care for them.
First-year students often face a multitude of personal and academic challenges that affect their overall success in college. To promote the development of academic resilience among first-year students, it is necessary to focus on... more
First-year students often face a multitude of personal and academic challenges that affect their overall success in college. To promote the development of academic resilience among first-year students, it is necessary to focus on cultivating both cognitive and non-cognitive skills, including those related to a student's developing sense of self. Because identity develops within a sociocultural context, understanding the conditions that contribute to such self-development cannot occur by merely focusing on isolated individuals. Instead, it is essential to examine how student identities evolve within the various collegiate milieus. Grounded in a first-year, cohort-based learning community for academically underprepared students, the study presented focuses on creating conditions that matter (Kuh, Kinzie, Schuh & Whitt, 2010; Tinto, 2017) in order to promote a student's sense of self and belonging. Participant observation and focus groups were utilized to investigate the experience of the selected undergraduate students. Informed by the shared experiences of current and former students of the program, findings suggest that participation in a first-year learning community built on high expectations and emotional sensitivity; intensive academic support and incremental success lead to genuine transformations that sustain long after the formal interventions and support have ceased.