Mind in Context
Interactionist Perspectives on Human Intelligence

This book discusses the idea that our abilities are dependent on the interaction between our minds and the contexts in which they are found.

Robert J. Sternberg (Edited by), Richard K. Wagner (Edited by)

9780521422871, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 28 January 1994

262 pages, 32 b/w illus. 25 tables
22.9 x 15.2 x 1.4 cm, 0.379 kg

"...the present volume sparkles with quality, virtuosity, inspiration, vision, and a wealth of critical information. The contributors are a distinguished band of leading theorists and researchers, well-known and respected, and they have given, on the whole, fine performances of some of their best works." David Henry Feldman, Contemporary Psychology

Traditional views of abilities have viewed them as internal properties of the organism. The views presented in this book, in contrast, view abilities as inhering in the interaction between minds and the contexts in which they are found. Some of the greatest psychologists of all time, such as Piaget and Vygotsky, have recognised the importance of person-context interaction to the development of intelligence, and even fervent hereditarians have recognised the extent to which when genotypes are expressed phenotypically, there is a reaction range that can limit or enhance the extent to which the genotype is expressed in the environment. The book is divided into three main parts. Part I, focusing on academic tasks, Part II, focusing on everyday tasks, and Part III, containing general perspectives.

Part I. Academic Tasks: 1. Abilities in academic tasks R. E. Snow
2. Novelty and intelligence M. K. Gardner
3. The effects of context on cognition: postcards from Brazil S. J. Ceci and A. Roazzi
Part II. Everyday Tasks: 4. The role of problem interpretations in understanding the development of everyday problem solving C. A. Berg and K. S. Calderone
5. The case of cognitive ability testing for job selection R. K. Wagner
6. Leader intelligence, interpersonal stress, and task performance F. E. Fiedler and T. G. Link
Part III. General Perspectives: 7. When minds meet: interactions, coincidence, and development in domains of ability N. Granott and H. Gardner
8. From intelligence to knowledge construction: a sociogenetic process approach J. Valsiner and M.-C. Leung
9. PRSVL: an integrative framework for understanding mind in context R. J. Sernberg.

Subject Areas: Intelligence & reasoning [JMRN]