Interactive Minds: Life-span Perspectives on the Social Foundation of Cognition

by Paul B. Baltes, Ursula M. Staudinger

Overview

Various theoretical models in psychology have emphasized the social foundation of the mind and the role that social interactions play in human development. Interactive Minds emphasizes social transaction and communication between minds without implying particular mechanisms and outcomes. For instance, not all products of interacting minds are positive. Interactive Minds also takes a life-span perspective, which is especially suited for understanding interactive dynamics of behavior and human development. Experts from a variety of fields address such issues as biological aspects of cooperation, the role of social interaction in learning, the conceptualization of linguistic knowledge, and peer problem solving. In a concluding "Epilogue", implications are presented for various fields, including education, developmental and cognitive psychology, and cultural anthropology.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521485678
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	04/26/1996
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	472
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.17(h) x 0.91(d)

Table of Contents

Part I. General Theoretical Framework: 1. The evolution of cooperation: within and between generations Peter Hammerstein; 2. Interacting minds in a lifespan perspective: a cultural-historical approach to culture and cognitive development Michael Cole; 3. Essentially Social: on the origin of linguistic knowledge in the individual Wolfgang Klein; 4. Knowledge and the construction of women's development Gisela Labouvie-Vief; Part II. Interactive Minds: 5. Peer interactive minds: development, theoretical, and methodological issues Margarita Azmitia; 6. Collaborative rules: how are people supposed to work with one another Jacqueline Goodnow; 7. The lifelong transformation of moral goals through social influence Damon William; 8. Adults Telling and retelling stories collaboratively Roger A. Dixon; 9. Planning about life: towards a social-interactive paradigm Jacqui Smith; 10. Wisdom and the social-interactive foundation of the mind Ursula Staudinger; Part III. Interactive Minds: Perspecxtives from Cognitive and Educational Psychology: 11. Rationality: Why Social Context Matters Gerd Gigerenzer; 12. Styles of thinking Robert J. Sternberg; 13. Cooperative construction of expert knowledge: the case of knowledge engineering Gerhard Strube; 14. Communities of practice towards expertise: social foundation of university instruction Heinz Mandl; Epilogue: reflections and future perspectives; 15. Cognitive pychology Peter Graf; 16. Developmental psychology Laura Carstensen; 17. Educational psychology Franz Weinert; 18. Cognitive and cultural anthropology Richard Shweder.

Editorial Reviews

"The strength of the book is the diversity of views presented....of value to knowledgeable readers with interests in either life-span development or the social construction of knowledge. Recommended...." Choice

From the Publisher