Jean Piaget Symposium Series: Volume 25
CHANGE AND DEVELOPMENT
Issues of Theory, Method, and Application
Edited by
Eric Amsel Weber State University
K. Ann Renninger Swarthmore College
"...the Amsel and Renninger book meets its goals admirably-every chapter
is a good read that presents state-of-the-art material to the broad readership
in the field. I learned something of value from every chapter."
—Contemporary Psychology
This book and the symposium on which it was based were designed to cross
the boundaries of subdiscipline and theoretical orientation to address
four critical issues in understanding development: explanation of change
and development; the nature and process of change; forms of variability
in performance; and the promotion of change through application. The chapters
suggest that change and development in target systems from cells to selves,
may not be explainable, assessable, or promotable without careful reference
to the context (social and otherwise) of the system, and that the process
of change and development may involve variability of the system in addition
to periods of stability. Together the chapters harken back to the spirit
of the grand theory. Instead of proposing a grand theory, they provide
an excellent foundation for considering the importance of an individual's
(or particular group's) context and variability, and discussions to facilitate
thinking about what still needs to be worked out.
Contents: K.A. Renninger, E. Amsel, Change and Development: An
Introduction. Part I: Foundations of Change and Development.
M. Chandler, Stumping for Progress in a Post-Modern World. J.
Valsiner, Constructing the Personal Through The Cultural: Redundant
Organization of Psychological Development. J. Meacham, Autobiograpyhy,
Voice, and Development Theory. Part II: Nature and Process of
Change and Development S.F. Gilbert, S. Borish, How Cells Learn,
How Cells Teach: Education in the Body. R.S. Siegler, Concepts
and Methods for Studying Cognitive Change. K. Nelson, Cognitive
Change as Collaborative Construction. K.W. Fischer, B.P. Kennedy,
Tools for Analyzing the Many Shapes of Development: The Case of Self-in-Relationships
in Korea. Part III: Variability, Change, and Development.
L.B. Smith, Metaphors and Methods: Variability and the Study of
Word Learning. R. Bakeman, L.B. Adamson, M. Konner, R. Barr, Sequential
Analyses of !Kung Infant Communication: Inducing and Recruiting. P.
van Geert, Variability and Fluctuation: A Dynamic View. J.B. Willett,
Measuring Change: What Individual Growth Modeling Buys You. Part IV:
Learning, Changing, and Developing. M. Cole, Cultural Mechanisms
of Cognitive Development. B. Rogoff, Evaluating Development in
the Process of Participation: Theory, Methods, and Practice Building on
Each Other. W. Damon, Learning and Resistance: When Developmental
Theory Meets Educational Practice.
Audience
Students and professionals in developmental/lifespan psychology; a supplemental
text for advanced undergraduate or graduate courses in applied development
or educational psychology, or methodology in developmental psychology.
0-8058-1825-1 [cloth] / 1997 / 344pp. / $69.95
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