A Critique of Explicit and Implicit Nativism in Research on Children’s Theories of Mind

The traditional theories of theory-of-mind development – modularist nativism, theory theory, and the two-systems theory – share a common model of mental representation. According to that model, the normative content of representation is encoded in its physical vehicle. In the present article, I point out that this claim entails the view that representation cannot emerge out of non-representational phenomena. This leads to the need of positing foundational mental content – foundationalism – and viewing cognitive development only as a reconfi guration of the innately given representations. As a result, all three models are forced to claim innate mental content, although only the modular nativists explicitly acknowledge it. Further, the idea that mental content is innate faces its own challenges: nativism does not seem to be a tenable position in either the “biological” or “psychological” sense of the term. I argue that nativism is a symptom of theoretical limitations, not a legitimate division of labor between psychology and other sciences.

The basic aim of our theoretical and research activity is to prepare a research procedure and a theoretical basis for such procedure directed at diagnosing three possible ways of responding to trauma (absence of adaptation, adaptation and post-traumatic development) among people who were mentally stable before experiencing trauma. In subject literature, traumatic responses are most often described by grouping into three categories: absence of adaptation, adaptation, and post-traumatic growth (development). In our case study, we introduce two examined women, who had in common the type of traumas experienced. They are women between 29 and 32 years old (young adults) whose child had died in the last 3 to 5 years. We have therefore focused not on the description of individual steps in carrying out a single case diagnosing reaction to trauma, but on the presentation of preparing procedure for such a study, i.e. the description of consecutive steps that led us from the fi rst question: what model will we use for the analysis of response to trauma and why this model and not the other one? – to the last question: what set of methods will we use to investigate the response to trauma and why this one as opposed to some other? In this case study, we present ensuing answers to the questions raised together with their rationale, dilemmas and doubts accompanying their formulation.

Recognition of Subjective Meanings. Hermeneutic Analysis of Self-narration of People in Late Adulthood Using the Original Method of Content Interpretation

Phenomenological-existential psychology assumes that the human identity consists of the subjectively experienced meanings, inscribed in the system of meanings and senses present in the world in which he or she lives. Human can defi ne and recognize his/her world of subjective meanings through narration and dialogue, and the form of self-narration refl ects the shape of his/her identity (Ricoeur, 1992; McAdams, 1993; Riessman, 2008; Gergen, Gergen, 2011). Analysis and interpretation of the story in terms of these meanings, which are manifestations of human subjectivity, seems to be the most effective when undertaken in the hermeneutic approach. The article indicates the advantages of this method, illustrating its effectiveness in relation to the analysis and interpretation of the stories of people in the senior age about life-important experiences. Self-narratives were obtained through a modifi ed version of the autobiographical-narrative interview according to the German sociologist Fritz Schütze (2007; Kaźmierska, Schütze, 2013). Content interpretation has been verifi ed by its evaluation by the subjects. The presented analysis of two out of ten self-narratives obtained allowed to discover the subjective world of meanings of the subjects, deepen the knowledge about the subjective nature of human life, as well as verify the effectiveness of the applied method.

Chosen Predictors of Psychosocial Integrity in Late Adulthood

According to the Erikson’s theory, personality development is associated with a positive resolution of developmental confl icts, appearing in stages, as a result of human interaction with the social and culture world. People in late adulthood are faced with the diffi cult task of finding a balance between the syntonic and dystonic feature of ego – integrity and despair – having a chance to develop life wisdom, deciding how to perceive themselves, other people and the surrounding world. The aim of this paper is to present and discuss predictors of psychosocial integrity in the late adulthood. Psychosocial integrity was a dependent variable, while the level of basic hope, level of depression and anxiety as a trait and selected sociodemographic data – were independent variables. The study of elderly people (N = 152) used the Measures of the Psychosocial Development (MPD) by G. Hawley (polish adaptation: Z. Uchnast), the Basic Hope Inventory (BHI-12) by J. Trzebiński and M. Zięba, the Hospital Scale of Anxiety and Depression (HADS) by A.S. Zigmond and R.P. Snaith (polish adaptation: K. de Walden-Gałuszko and M. Majkowicz) and the Sociodemographic Data Sheet, designed by the authors of the study. It  has been proved that the level of psychosocial integrity depends mainly on the level of basic hope, but it is also determined by the level of education of the respondents, which is  important for the perceived level of anxiety and depression.

Attitudes toward Globalization and Life Satisfaction The Mediating Role of Identity Formation

The aim of the research was to describe the relationship between attitudes toward globalization and life satisfaction and identity processes in the group of young adults. The sample included of 403 people at the age of 19–35 (M = 22.84, SD = 2.81), 219 women (54.3%) and 184 men. The relations were measured with the use of three questionnaires: Questionnaire of Attitudes Toward Globalization (Senejko, Łoś, 2016), Questionnaire of Identity Formation by A. Oleszkowicz, A. Słowińska (referring to the Dual-Cycle Model of Identity Formation by Luyckx et al., 2006) and SWLS Questionnaire (Diener et. al., 1985). Data analysis was based on structural equation modeling. The research results indicate a lack of direct relationship between attitudes toward globalization and life satisfaction. It was established that all of the identity processes differentiate the level of life satisfaction. The most powerful predictor of life satisfaction is a refl ective exploration in depth. In the relation of attitudes toward globalization – life satisfaction, identity processes are mediators. The anxiety attitude toward globalization is in strong relationship with ruminative exploration processes. Critical attitude is in relationship with refl ective exploration in breadth and depth and identifi cation with commitment. The accepting attitude is in relationship with a refl ective exploration in breadth and depth.

The Period of Life and Meaning Attributed to Disease (on the Example of Multiple Sclerosis)

The main aim of the study was to analyse the cross-reference between individualised means of experiencing a disease (assessment of its signifi cance), as determined by the level of disability and selected psychosocial factors, and the period of life of patients with Multiple Sclerosis. The following were used in the study: Disease-Related Appraisals Scale, Generalized Self-Effi cacy Scale, Expanded Disability Status Scale EDSS and the original questionnaire on sociodemographic characteristics. The study showed that patients with a chronic disease show a statistically signifi cant differentiation in terms of the meaning attributed to disease as the benefi t and obstacle. Moreover, the age of the patients under study also shows differentiation with respect to the signifi cance of particular factors for the means of experiencing the disease (assessment of its signifi cance). The fi ndings obtained in the course of the present study indicate the importance of unique and typical determinants of functioning of patients with Multiple Sclerosis, as well as point to the signifi cance of the factor of age which should be taken into account in the work of interdisciplinary teams providing care to this population of patients.