Re: [xmca] action based research

From: ERIC.RAMBERG@spps.org
Date: Mon Dec 04 2006 - 12:58:54 PST


Mike:

Yes, I would greatly appreciate any references to the Kharkov school that
you could pass along. Returning to "Developmental Psychology in the Soviet
Union" in the chapter that Valsiner devotes to discussing the Kharkov
school he emphasizes the importance of studying how children's "development
are directed by the child's actions with objects (p. 209)." More
specifically I am asking how the distinction between action and activity
was being made. Looking at the forbidden color experiment the action would
be the describing of the geometric figures? Or is this what Leontiev
would term the activity.

Personally, I view "activity" as referring to a multiple actioned thing
that has a distinct beginning and end (i.e. a basketball game, a college
class, driving to work) whereas I see an "action" as a specific movement
conducted by one person that is measurable (i.e. dribbling a basketball,
answering a question, shifting the car). Looking forward to anything
reference you may enlighten me with.

eric

                                                                                                                                  
                      "Mike Cole"
                      <lchcmike who-is-at gmail. To: "ERIC.RAMBERG@spps.org" <ERIC.RAMBERG@spps.org>
                      com> cc: "eXtended Mind, Culture, Activity" <xmca@weber.ucsd.edu>
                      Sent by: Subject: Re: [xmca] action based research
                      xmca-bounces who-is-at web
                      er.ucsd.edu
                                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                  
                      12/01/2006 04:34
                      PM
                      Please respond
                      to mcole; Please
                      respond to
                      "eXtended Mind,
                      Culture,
                      Activity"
                                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                  

ERci-- The Kharkov school makes the distinction! They were all about
activity.
Try reading them in Soviet Psychology. I'll send a long a ref when I get a
chance.

The difference between skinner/pavlov and the russians is their emphasis on
semiotic
mediation through artifacts.
mike

On 12/1/06, ERIC.RAMBERG@spps.org <ERIC.RAMBERG@spps.org> wrote:
>
>
> Thank you for the interest Mike:
>
> Why is it that you make a distinction between action and activity?
>
> My main reference is Valsiner's "Developemental Psychology in the Soviet
> Union". I like the word action because in most of the experiments that
> utilize the dual stimulation method there is an expectation set by the
> experimentor that the subject is to bring action to the experiment by
> actively achieving a goal as well the action utilized by the experimentor
> in directing the goal. For example, the "forbidden color" experiment,
> the
> card is both a semiotic psychological tool used by the subject as well as
> a
> culturally mediated tool that allows the experimentor to set the
> parameters
> of the experiment.
>
> What do you see as the main difference between the Skinner/Pavlov
> experiment and the Vygotsky/Leontiev/Luria experiment?
>
> eric
>
>
>
> "Mike Cole"
> <lchcmike who-is-at gmail. To: "eXtended Mind,
> Culture, Activity" <xmca@weber.ucsd.edu>
> com> cc:
> Sent by: Subject: Re: [xmca] action
> based research
> xmca-bounces who-is-at web
> er.ucsd.edu
>
>
> 12/01/2006 02:08
> PM
> Please respond
> to mcole; Please
> respond to
> "eXtended Mind,
> Culture,
> Activity"
>
>
>
>
>
>
> What references are you using to chactertize the Kharkhov School, Eric?
> Why
> action when it is there that activity came to the fore as a central
> concept?
> mike
>
> On 12/1/06, ERIC.RAMBERG@spps.org <ERIC.RAMBERG@spps.org> wrote:
> >
> >
> >
> > I believe there is a distinct difference between the Cartesian dualism
> of
> > the subject-object psychological experimentation and the action based
> > research of the 'Kharkov School'. In the action based psychological
> > experiment the emphasis is upon goal orientated social behavior.
> > Therefore, I believe it is this focus on the social otherness that sets
> > apart the action based research. This otherness at some point becomes
a
> > tool for a person to utilize to further their own development. That I
> > believe is the kernel, the nut, the essence of what needs to be
> answered.
> > At what point in development does a person realize that the otherness
> can
> > be a tool to further their own development?
> >
> > In action based research there is not the sterile confines of a
> laboratory
> > but rather 'experiments' can be conducted anywhere as long as the goal
> > being attained is clearly defined. The empirical evidence gathered
from
> > these action based experiments gleaned information for researchers to
> > place
> > great emphasis upon semiosis. However, this still anchors a person's
> > thinking within the materialistic realm of subject-object but I believe
> it
> > to be a different anchoring than what results from mere
> > antecedent-behavior
> > associations. Besides being associative and quantitative in nature the
> > results of an action oriented empirical experiment provides qualitative
> > evidence towards answering the question posed in the above paragraph.
> >
> > what do others think?
> >
> > eric
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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> > xmca@weber.ucsd.edu
> > http://dss.ucsd.edu/mailman/listinfo/xmca
> >
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