Re: Does anyone know...?

Ana M. Shane (pshane who-is-at andromeda.rutgers.edu)
Wed, 4 Sep 1996 01:53:39 -0400

Dear Boris,

This is a fascinating story! One wonders why did Bluma Zeigarnic became not
just critical of Lewin's theory but more than that: sarcastic!=20
Thanks for sharing it.=20

Ana

At 09:47 PM 9/3/96 -0400, you wrote:
>Dear Ana, Alfred, Peter and others interested in this matter.
>
> In the context of the relationships between V.=92s and L.=92s=
theoretical
>paradigms, we are talking about the role Zeigarnick might have played. Let
>me share with you what I know about this matter. My argument is that while
>Bluma was instrumental in organizing personal contacts between L. and V.,=
she
>had not contributed anything substantial into scientific connections or=
even
>discussions between their theories.
> B. V. Zeigarnick is one of the first and, probably, the most=
prominent
>of Lewin=92s students. She has secured her place in the history of=
psychology
>at a very early age by brilliantly describing (after many series of pretty
>experiments) the phenomenon which bears her name since then: "Zeigarnic
>effect" (=85"the interrupted action is remembered better than "completed"
>action=85") It was first published in "Psychologische Forsehung" in 1927.
> This discovery and its description (the terms used, the concept itself,
>the way the experiments were designed and carried out, etc.) perfectly fits
>the gestalt paradigm in general and Lewin=92s "field theory" in particular.=
In
>1929 Bluma returned to Russia . She worked in a psychiatric clinic until
>WWll. According to Gita, Bluma brought Lewin to Vygotsky=92s flat at
>Serpuhkovsky, 17, in 1933. Bluma, as well as A. R. Luria, participated=
in
>their discussions. We probably will never know what they discussed. But =
one
>thing is known. According to Bluma (see the interview I mentioned earlier)
>Lewin asked Vygotsky=92s advice where to emigrate (it was 1933, Hitler had
> seized the power in Germany). We do not know what advice V. gave to Lewin.
>But we do know that L. emigrated to the US. (thank God).=20
> Zeigarnick became one of the most prominent psychologists in the=
former
>Soviet Union: she is the "founding mother" of contemporary psychopathology=
in
>the former USSR. She is the author and co-author of practically all major
>texbooks on psychopathology ("abnormal psychology" in the US terms) and was
>the leading teacher in this area (full professor at Moscow University =
since
> early 60s (in Luria=92s department). Her last book, the second edition of
>"Psychopathology" was published in 1986 (after her death).=20
> Now, I attended her lectures in 1973-76. I read from cover to cover
>many of her textbooks during my training as a forensic psychologist. I can
>testify that in all her texts she appeared as an orthodox Vygotskian (in
>Leontiev=92s modification) and there is nothing there from gestalt=
psychology
>in general and Lewin=92s writings in particular. During her lectures she=
was
>very critical of Lewin, I would say, even sarcastic: she repeatedly said:
>"the so-called theory of Lewin". Among her books there is one titled:=
"Theory
>of Personality of Kurt Lewin", published by MGU in 1981. (in Russian:
>"Teoria Lichnosti K. Levina"). I believe this text is critical in
>understanding the whole issue. Here, again, there is a sharp criticism of
>L.=92s ideas from Vygotskian=92s position. ( Please note: I am not an=
expert in
>this question, that is my personal perception. I should re-read this book,
>it is on my shelve collecting dust=85). That is why I think that in the
>scientific/theoretical perspective Bluma is not the "bridge" between L. and
>W, although from a personal perspective she undoubtedly had been.
> =20
>P.S., Ana, I do not have at hand the exact data where this interview was
>published in English, it is one of those "Soviet Psychology" journals of
>translations.=20
>
>Boris Gindis, Ph.D.
>NYS Licensed Psychologist
>
>Center for Cognitive-Developmental=20
>Assessment, Rehabilitation, and Training,=20
>13 South Van Dyke Ave. Suffern, NY 10901
>Tel: 914-357-2512
>Fax: 914-369-6830
>E-mail: bgindis who-is-at aol.com
>
>Touro College Graduate School of Education and Psychology
>Empire State Building, 350 Fifth Ave./Suite 1700,=20
>New York, NY 10118
>Tel: 212-643-0700
>Fax: 212-643-0759
>
>
>
>
_________________________________________________________________________
Dr. Ana Marjanovic-Shane =20

151 W. Tulpehocken St. Office of Mental Health and=20
Philadelphia, PA 19144 Mental Retardation
(215) 843-2909 [voice] 1101 Market St. 7th Floor
(215) 843-2288 [fax] Philadelphia, PA 19107
(215) 685-4767 [v]
(215) 685-5581 [fax]

pshane who-is-at andromeda.rutgers.edu
anchi who-is-at geocities.com
http://www.geocities.com./Athens/2253/index.html
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