Arkadiusz Białek

Implicit perspective-taking

The paper investigates the presence of perspective-induction and implicit form of perspective-taking (perspective-comply) in a triadic joint engagement and treats them as foundational for explicit perspective-taking. The analysis focuses on the participation of those processes in such behaviours as gaze-following, social referencing, pointing, and joint action. By engagement in these activities children provide the evidence of implicit understanding of separateness of one’s own perspective and that of the others. Due to their reference to the psychological common ground emerging between them, participants of a coordinated joint engagement are able to adequately understand their activities. Development of the ability for explicit (articulated) perspective-taking is possible only as an outcome of participations in joint attention and joint engagement.

The aim of the present analysis is to describe the developmental trajectory of the infant and toddler communicative competencies. Turn-taking, gaze-following, joint attention and pointing gestures are the most important expressions of these competencies that could be measured by the Early Social Communication Scale (ESCS Mundy et al., 2003). We present the results of a research conducted with 358 one-year old children and obtained through the Polish version of this scale (ESCS). The validity and reliability of the Polish version of ESCS proved to be satisfactory. The obtained results were analyzed emphasizing the role of early communicative competencies in the further social, linguistic and cognitive development of a child and indicating the domain of psychological practice where ESCS could be implemented. 

Relations between types of social orientation and ways of constructing identity by young adults

The research investigates the relationship between an individual’s social orientation and their identity style. The identity style is understood, following Berzonsky (1989), as the manner in which important life decisions are taken, including those related to one’s identity and ways of coping with everyday problems. Having anticipated differences in ways of constructing identity, decision-making, and coping with problems, the author distinguishes three identity styles: informational, normative, and diffuse-avoidant. In turn, the research in social orientations distinguishes an individualistic and a collectivistic orientation (Reykowski, 1999). They are understood as forms of mentality connected with basic intuitions and beliefs related to the question of which type of a relation between an individual and the community is proper and just. The conducted research verifi ed the existence of sex differences in the construction of identity styles and adopted social orientation, as well as the relation between an individual’s identity style and their social orientation. Berzonsky’s revised Identity Style Inventory (ISI-3) and a questionnaire for the measurement of vertical and horizontal collectivism and individualism (KIRH; Adamska, Retowski, Konarski, 2005) were used to determine an individual’s identity style and social orientation, respectively. The KIRH enabled to identify two types collectivism (vertical and horizontal) and two types of individualism.
The sample consisted of 657 subjects (340 female and 317 male), between 22 and 40 years of age. The conducted analysis revealed differences between female and male subjects as regards identity styles and social orientations as well as the relation between certain identity styles and specific social orientations.