At a Crossroad: Standing Still and Moving Forward

Reading the article, "Community psychology at the crossroads: Prospects for interdisciplinary research" (Maton, Perkins & Saegert, this issue), there is a sense that community psychology is at a crossroad with regard to being an interdisciplinary field. This paper aims to offer insight and guidance to proponents of interdisciplinary research in the community psychology field by drawing on experiences in urban studies, which shares similar origins and interdisciplinary claims.     

The mobile frontiers of Piaget’s psychology. From academic tourism to interdisciplinary collaboration / Las fronteras móviles de la psicología de Piaget. Del turismo académico a la colaboración interdisciplinaria

Jean Piaget’s (1896–1980) interdisciplinarity was related to his psychology in several ways. First, he was a simple tourist of other fields: an interested outsider. But as he became increasingly involved in the professionalization of the discipline, he moved through different contexts that constrained the possibilities for successful action in new and different ways. To make these clear, we adopt a little-known aspect of his later epistemological framework: the open hierarchy of levels. This then affords new perspectives of his life, his work, his theory and his location in the history of both Swiss psychology and French psychology. It also outlines his reasoning regarding the necessity of a disciplined approach to interdisciplinary collaboration, institutionalized in the founding of his International Centre for Genetic Epistemology. We therefore come not only to a fuller understanding of how Piaget thought scientific knowledge develops, but also of how the boundaries of scientific disciplines are pushed back.     

How European is the European Journal of Developmental Psychology?

This paper tries to make clear why a European journal of developmental psychology makes sense. First it is explained that so-called European culture is a complicated matter: historically and culturally many fault lines are to be detected, from the borders of the Roman empire to the iron curtain. These fault lines separate different cultural areas within Europe.

Developmental thinking came into existence within the eighteenth century (Enlightenment), especially with the work of Rousseau, which offered the theoretical building blocks for Western education and for modern Piagetian developmental psychology. Empirical developmental research found its origins in Germany, especially in Jena, with the work of William Preyer. The Jena ideas were brought to the USA by Stanley Hall. And in the twentieth century the Rousseau–Piaget tradition was brought to the USA by John Flavell.

A European Society for Developmental Psychology and its flagship the European Journal of Developmental Psychology should devote itself to the study of the European roots of developmental psychology as well as contributing to European developmental psychology, which in an open, new Europe moves across the original fault lines.     

Religion,Reductionism, and the Seduction of Epistemology

This paper examines phenomenology and its psychological relationship to religious education. It comments on this relationship in the light of the critique of phenomenology which Piaget himself made towards the end of his life (Piaget, 1965), though it also draws attention to other aspects of phenomenology theory which are dissonant with Piagetian psychology. This paper, therefore, is not a broad philosophical critique of phenomenology, though an element of this is included. but concentrates on the philosophical and developmental factors which impede the capacity of young people to perform either of the ‘reductions’ demanded by the phenomenological method.     

Bridging History and Social Psychology: What, How and Why

This special issue aims to bridge history and social psychology by bringing together historians and social psychologists in an exercise of reading and learning from each other??s work. This interdisciplinary exercise is not only timely but of great importance for both disciplines. Social psychologists can benefit from engaging with historical sources by being able to contextualise their findings and enrich their theoretical models. It is not only that all social and psychological phenomena have a history but this history is very much part of present-day and future developments. On the other hand historians can enhance their analysis of historical sources by drawing upon the conceptual tools developed in social psychology. They can ??test?? these tools and contribute to their validation and enrichment from completely different perspectives. Most important, as contributions to this special issue amply demonstrate, psychology??s ??historical turn?? has the potential to shed a new light on striking, yet underexplored, similarities between contemporary public spheres and their pre-modern counterparts. This issue thereby calls into question the dichotomy between traditional and de-traditionalized societies??a distinction that lies at the heart of many social psychology accounts of the world we live in. The present editorial will introduce and consider this act of bridging history and social psychology by focusing on three main questions: What is the bridge made of? How can the two disciplines be bridged? and Why we cross this interdisciplinary bridge? In the end a reflection on the future of this collaboration will be offered.     

Discourse analysis in neuropsychology: comment on Chapman and Ulatowska.

This paper discusses a recent article by Chapman and Ulatowska (1989, Brain and Language, 36, 651-658) on discourse analysis in aphasia. As such, the research in this area is interdisciplinary drawing from neuropsychology, as well as cognitive psychology, and, in part, aging. We illustrate problems that can arise when theoretical constructs and methodological considerations in this interdisciplinary approach are not rigorously observed. It is argued that definitive conclusions regarding the functional organization of the brain and discourse can be offered only when discourse analysis uses the state of the art from neuropsychology and cognitive psychology.     

寂寞身后事,蓄势待来年——让·皮亚杰(J.Piaget)逝世30周年祭

皮亚杰逝世已30年,但皮亚杰所创立的发生认识论研究不应走向历史。皮亚杰的理论遭到许多人的误解。遗传论和生物学化是两项最为不恰当的帽子。皮亚杰不是传统意义上的心理学家,心理学只是其研究康德意义上的"先验范畴"之个体发生发展的"方法论插曲"。发生认识论具有鲜明的跨学科性质,应该进行"发生认识论"与当代"认知科学"的比较研究。应正确认识理论生物学、结构主义方法论、代数工具和逻辑学在发生认识论研究中的作用和地位,尤其应注重晚年皮亚杰运用新的意义逻辑(logic of meaning)和态射(morphisms)、范畴(categories)等新的代数概念作为形式化认知结构之工具的价值和意义。要深入研究发生认识论对以"具身化"和"回归大脑"为特色的第二代认知科学的启示,探讨它们之间的联系。至少在两个方面可以明显看到这种联系:一是发生认识论中的"动作协调"及对由协调而产生的逻辑—数学经验的"反省抽象"这两个概念,表明了皮亚杰对心智具身性的卓越洞见;二是在皮亚杰所主张的"表型复制"(phynocopy)观点中体现的衍生论(epigenesis)和建构论(constructionism)思想,它们与第二代认知科学的动力系统理论之基本思想——所涉因素或变量之间的关系是一种互为因果、相互塑造的对偶(coupling)关系而不是线性的单向因果关系——两者是完全一致的。皮亚杰及其发生认识论定会随着认知科学的未来发展而被"再发现"。     

Genetic epistemology,history of science and genetic psychology

Genetic epistemology analyzes the growth of knowledge both in the individual person (genetic psychology) and in the socio-historical realm (the history of science). But what the relationship is between the history of science and genetic psychology remains unclear. The biogenetic law that ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny is inadequate as a characterization of the relation. A critical examination of Piaget's Introduction à l'Épistémologie Généntique indicates these are several examples of what I call stage laws common to both areas. Furthermore, there is at least one example of a paradoxical inverse relation between the two — geometry. Both similarities and differences between the two domains require an explanation, a developmental explanation. Although such an explanation seems to be psychological in nature, it is not merely empirical but also normative (since psychology is both factual and normative according to Piaget). Hence genetic epistemology need not be reduced to psychology (narrowly conceived), but rather should be seen as being both empirical and normative and thus similar to certain types of contemporary philosophy of science.I wish to thank Guy Cellerier, Ken Freeman, Pierre Moessinger, and Pat McKee who provided stimulating conversation on several of the issues discussed in this paper.     

Psychology and Health: Obstacles and Opportunities1

This paper begins with an overview of key achievements in health psychology. It describes major impediments to progress in the field, as well as opportunities for developing a strong scientific basis of efforts to modify health-damaging behavior. Strategies for capitalizing upon the opportunities are suggested. These include enhanced efforts at theory development, use of modern biomedical technology for in vivo research, experimentation with specific alternative research funding mechanisms, establishing procedures for training interdisciplinary researchers, and increased efforts by individual scientists to broaden their understanding of the relationship of their field to government. The importance of such initiatives to the continued growth of health psychology is emphasized.     

Suicide bombings and the self

The failure to locate a unifying psychological profile of suicide bombers should prompt moves to a more extended and interdisciplinary front, availing itself of insights from disciplines such as sociology, philosophy and history of ideas, as well as from psychology. This paper aims in that direction by exploring ‘traditional’ versus ‘western liberal’ conceptions of the self, with special emphasis on their possible pathologies; and by integrating those pathologies with insights from Durkheimian suicidology. It is hypothesised that suicide bombers in the West are typically callow, malleable young men targeted by terror merchants, and that their suicide missions are, first and foremost, acts of deluded self-enhancement, which need to be understood against the backdrop of the western liberal conception of the self. Finally, some implications for moral education are suggested.     

Constructivism in social psychology

Genetic constructivism developed by Piaget and his school is considered to be a grand theory which is also of great relevance for experimental social psychology. However according to J. M. Baldwin, the founder of genetic psychology, and to contemporary researchers in the area of moral judgement and development social psychology, the notion of social performism should be incorporated in constructivist theory. Deutsch 5 crude law of social relations is cited as a theoretical assumption implying that social preformism can be studied experimentally.     

Towards a Psychology of Rural Development Processes and Interventions

A psychosocial approach to rural development and development interventions, which we designate as ‘psychology of rural development’ (PsyRD), does not yet exist as an area of research or intervention within the field of psychology or development studies, even though rural development is in part obviously shaped by psychosocial factors. Thus, in this discussion paper, we argue the need for PsyRD, explore how it may provide new insights and tools for analysis vis‐à‐vis rural development scenarios and issues of social equity and outline the shape that, in our view, such a psychology should take. First, the multiple dimensions of rural development and the many practical problems faced by rural development agents contain strong psychosocial elements that require contributions from psychology. Yet at the same time, the psychological literature on this topic contains many limitations and biases, which leads us to, in the second part of the paper lay the groundwork for a PsyRD that focuses on the importance of adopting a critical and interdisciplinary approach capable of dealing with complexity and multidetermination. Finally, we conclude by outlining the challenges of PsyRD. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

American Psychology of Religion and the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion

It is doubtful whether there ever has been a rise‐fall‐rebirth of the psychology of religion. While the claim has marginal merit for American academic psychology, it has little application in other cultures or even within American psychology of religion outside mainstream psychology. The psychology of religion has always been and remains tied to key individuals who sustain the field. This historical fact is important in understanding the role of the JSSR in the field. Early psychologists of religion such as Hall and James set the pattern for two distinctively different approaches to the psychology of religion. Hall's approach was methodologically restrictive, inherently reductive, and came to dominate the academic psychology of religion. James ‘approach was methodological plural, receptive to the evidential force of religious experience, and quickly marginalized within American psychology. These opposing orientation continue to influence the psychology of religion in societies such as the SSR and its journal. A review of the psychologist editors of JSSR illustrates that the psychology of religion remains a marginal interest of mainstream psychology. It survives because of the interdisciplinary nature of the SSSR and its journal.     

Mapping the terrain of pastoral psychology

Pastoral psychology has, over the course of the past century, undergone substantial transformation. Changes in the territory warrant, if not require, a thoroughly revised map. This essay approaches pastoral psychology as an interdisciplinary enterprise, a bridge discipline unifying three diverse, integrally related angles of vision: as a specialized field of theology (or theological studies), a specialized field or kind of psychology (or psychological studies), and a practical-clinical enterprise. The need to systematize the field as well as demonstrate its complex relations with cognate areas recommends approaching pastoral psychology, ultimately, as theological: as a dimension of pastoral theology, a kind of practical theology, which integrates practice-theory (praxis) and research; involves religious-theological and psychological domains of experiences, patterns of behavior, and forms of reflection; and maintains a focus on the understanding and care of persons across intrapsychic, familial, community, and cultural levels.     

Cognitive-Developmental Psychology and the Baha'i Faith: Meaningful Connections

This article explores the relationship between a newly emerging world religion, the Baha'i Faith, and the cognitive-developmental school of psychology. It does so by illustrating three major concepts shared by the protagonists of cognitive-developmentalism, such as Piaget and Kohlberg, and the primary authors of the sacred writings of the Baha'i Faith: Baha'u'llah, ‘Abdu'l-Baha, and Shoghi Effendi. These concepts include (a) a developmental teleology, (b) the stage-like nature of development, and (c) the importance of a cognitive, or epistemic focus. It is intended that this article chart an avenue of communication between members of the Baha'i Faith and the therapeutic community over topics of mutual interest (cf. Laszlo, 1989a, 1989b).     

Experimental Philosophy of Explanation Rising: The Case for a Plurality of Concepts of Explanation

This paper brings together results from the philosophy and the psychology of explanation to argue that there are multiple concepts of explanation in human psychology. Specifically, it is shown that pluralism about explanation coheres with the multiplicity of models of explanation available in the philosophy of science, and it is supported by evidence from the psychology of explanatory judgment. Focusing on the case of a norm of explanatory power, the paper concludes by responding to the worry that if there is a plurality of concepts of explanation, one will not be able to normatively evaluate what counts as good explanation.     

发展认知神经科学研究述评

发展认知神经科学是发展心理学与认知神经科学相结合而形成的跨学科研究领域,旨在从神经、行为和情境三个水平,对认知发展的方方面面进行整合性研究。本文从发展认知神经科学的研究内容、研究方法及其对发展心理学的贡献进行了梳理,并对该学科未来发展的趋势进行了展望。     

Psychology of Religion in Global Perspective: Logic,Approach, Concepts

From initial beginnings at the dawn of modern psychology about 120 years ago, the psychology of religion developed slowly during the 20th century, increasing at a modest pace by 2000; but strikingly so since 9/11. Psychological research on religiousness has been transformed from a small subfield of interest to only a few into a topic of broad interest within general psychology including the neurocognitive, developmental-personality-clinical, and social-cultural areas. At the same time, it has become increasingly internationalized with research now coming from many regions and cultures. Creative research with some surprise findings from various countries illustrates topics that go far beyond the field’s often-critiqued humble beginnings in New England and a few isolated spots in Northwest and Central Europe. The research is multilevel within psychology and interdisciplinary. It not only acknowledges but also aims to understand the role of cultural context interactive with individual variables in religiousness and spirituality. How to proceed with psychological research across traditional disciplinary, international, and cultural barriers is addressed.