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12 - Developmental dynamics, intentional action, and fuzzy sets

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 September 2009

By
Paul van Geert
Edited by
Nira Granott  and
Jim Parziale
Paul van Geert
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Groningen
Nira Granott
Affiliation:
University of Texas, Dallas
Jim Parziale
Affiliation:
University of Massachusetts, Boston
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Summary

One of the most striking findings of microdevelopmental studies is the existence of a considerable degree of variability in a person's performance levels (Crowley, Shrager, & Siegler, 1997; Fletcher, Huffman, Bray, & Grupe, 1998; Kuhn, Garcia-Mila, Zohar, & Andersen, 1995; Kuhn, 1995; Nakatani, 1995; Siegler, 1995). In addition, variability itself seems to vary between persons and conditions too (Alibali, 1999; Goldin-Meadow, Alibali, & Church, 1993). Still another finding is that individuals differ among one another in the way they reach a developmental outcome or in the way they show the psychological property under scrutiny (for instance, the use of a particular cognitive strategy) (Siegler, 1994, 1995, 1997; Siegler & Shipley, 1995; Siegler & Chen, 1998; Lautrey, 1993; Lautrey & Caroff, 1996).

The standard view on variability – which I shall confine to fluctuations in a person's level across time – is that it is more closely related to the notions of error and deception than to the idea of truth. The psychologist is like Narcissus, who looks at his face mirrored by the water of a pond that is touched by a gale of wind. The wrinkles he sees are those of the water, not of his face. If we study a property such as a person's level of skill, knowledge, intelligence – all alleged internal properties – we look at that property through some medium, for instance a test, an observation of spontaneous behavior, and so forth.

Type
Chapter
Information
Microdevelopment
Transition Processes in Development and Learning
 , pp. 319 - 343
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2002

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References

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