RELATIONS AND STRUCTURES Developments of Gestalt Theory in Psychology and Adjacent Fields

Transcription

1 The International SOCIETY FOR GESTALT THEORY AND ITS APPLICATIONS announces its 15th Scientific Convention May 25 27, 2007 Macerata, Italy In cooperation with the Dipartimento di Scienze dell Educazione e della Formazione Università di Macerata RELATIONS AND STRUCTURES Developments of Gestalt Theory in Psychology and Adjacent Fields You are cordially invited to attend the 15th Scientific Convention of the GTA. The conference will be held in Macerata (Italy), on May 25-27, The conference will feature lectures, workshops and posters on topics of current interest from a wide range of fields of research and practice, demonstrating advances in Gestalt-theoretical research and application. This year, the conference will be organized in 4 parallel sessions: A) Perception, B) Language and Communication, C) Developmental Psychology and Pedagogics, D) Social Psychology. The general theme of the Conference ( Relations and Structures ) will be discussed, within each session, focusing on the topics described below. The deadline for submissions is February 15, Papers submitted (posters, lectures, workshop) must specify the session and the topic they refer to.

2 Session A) PERCEPTION Address for Submission: Aim of the Session: The study of the relationships between structures from a perceptual point of view was first developed by gestalt psychologists, then in Tversky s contrast model and lastly in the literature on same/different tasks with special reference to visual structures. This session aims to show three different perspectives in order to look at the contribution made by the original gestalt research and its developments which contribute to the understanding of the perception of relations. 1st topic) The Perception of the Relationships between Visual Forms. Proposers and Organizers: I. Bianchi [University of Macerata], M. Stadler [University of Bremen] The aim of this first part of the session is to show the contents and methodology for grounding a theory regarding relationships in perception. We will start by looking at the original contributions of gestalt psychologists, and move on to current studies. The main lectures will deal both with formal approaches and with theoretical and experimental research on specific relationships. 2nd topic) Perceptually-based Classifications of Graphic Images. Proposers and Organizers: I. Bianchi [University of Macerata], U. Savardi [University of Verona], M. Stadler [University of Bremen] In the second part of this session, the relationships between visual structures will be looked at from the viewpoint of the phenomenological proposals of the taxonomies of graphic images. The issue of classification, already addressed by Koffka and Metzger with respect to objects in the environment, is dealt with here for the first time with special reference to graphic images. Some specific proposals for classification will be focused on. In particular, two recent contributions from Massironi and Vicario, which refer to graphic images as having special relevance to research on the psychology of perception, will be discussed. 3rd topic) Grounding Descriptions in Perception: From Gestalt Psychology to Current Ontology. proposers and organizers: I. Bianchi [University of Macerata], F. Toccafondi [University of Parma], U. Savardi [University of Verona], M. Stadler [University of Bremen] A recent debate in the field of ontology deals with how perceptual structures form part of the essence of an object. In this part of the session, some issues concerning the internal relationships between ontology and perception, ontology and experimental phenomenology, will be focused on.

3 Session B) LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION Address for Submission: Aim of the Session: Research on language and the structures of dialogue have usually been neglected by Gestalt theory. The aim of this session is to show how some of the current psychological, linguistic and philosophical developments in research and theory in this field share many methodological and theoretical aspects with classic Gestalt theory, even though implicitly. 1st topic) The Internal Structure of Dialogues Proposers and Organizers: A. Zuczkowski [University of Macerata], J. Skilters [University of Latvia] The Speech Acts Theory (Austin, Searle) and Conversation Analysis (Sacks, Schegloff, Jefferson) are two approaches that we believe are implicitly related to Gestalt theory. Their major results show that: 1) spoken communication is formed of particular well defined structures; 2) these structures define specific types of dialogue; 3) linguistic structures and dialogue types depend on the speakers roles (e.g. storyteller, accuser, consoler, adviser, etc.). The nature of the dialogue and the roles are both built up and negotiated during the course of the conversation, since they depend on what is said and how it is said. The roles and the structures found in a dialogue are related to the global structure of the dialogue itself. From this point of view, every dialogue could be considered as a dynamic and not linear system. In other words, it can be considered an autonomous, self-organizing structure, developing by itself and not static, arranged at a macroscopic level on the basis of the connection between parts defined at a microscopic level. 2nd topic) Conversational Happiness and Praegnanz Proposers and Organizers: A. Zuczkowski [University of Macerata], J. Skilters [University of Latvia] A second theme for this session could be the research on conversational happiness or dialogical harmony (attunement). This involves the analysis of observable linguistic and paralinguistic indexes, which concern, for instance, dialogical overlaps and interruptions, rhythms and tones of conversation, humor, coherence and cohesion of discourse etc. In Gestalt terminology, this kind of research concerns the Praegnanz of the dialogue (professional or non professional), that is to say the analysis of the structural conditions, which could favor or hinder the impression, in the dialogue partners, of the good Gestalt of their dialogue. 3rd topic) Relationships between Structures of Language and Structures of Visual Perception: Problems of Inter-semiotic Transposition from Verbal Text to Visual Structure Proposers and Organizers: G. Galli [University of Macerata], J. S. Petöfi [University of Macerata], J. Skilters [University of Latvia] The main problem with inter-semiotics that we propose to discuss is how the transposition of a verbal text into a visual structure can be successfully realized. Gestalt theory offers a method of structural analysis to compare a verbal text to a visual structure.

4 Session C) DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY AND PEDAGOGY Address for Submission: Aim of the session: The purpose of this session is to find methodological and theoretical paradigms in agreement (although not explicit) with Gestalt theory in current research in the field of developmental psychology and pedagogy. The discussion will focus, in particular, on studies carried out within a system framework and based on the interactionist perspective. 1st topic) The Relevance of Metzger s View of Early Child Development Proposers and Organizers: A. Arfelli [University of Macerata], F. Herget [University of Munich], M. Soff [University of Education, Karlsruhe] METZGER s theoretical views on the psychic processes in the newborn have found support in the results of recent experimental studies. 2nd topic) Action-Research in Educational and Formative Fields Proposers and Organizers: D. Simeone [University of Macerata], F. Herget [University of Munich], Marianne Soff [University of Education, Karlsruhe] The first issue dealt with in this session concerns action-research (jointly with session D). This methodology, proposed by Kurt Lewin, has been used in a great number of studies in social psychology and in the educational and formative fields. It can still be reasonably considered an innovation. For this reason, it is important to start this session with an introduction to action research, to explain its main characteristics and its peculiarities. 3rd topic) Formative Processes and the Peer Group Culture. Proposers and Organizers: P. Nicolini [University of Macerata], F. Herget [University of Munich], Marianne Soff [University of Education, Karlsruhe] Despite the fact that studies performed in this field very rarely make explicit references to Gestalt theory, one cannot help but notice that many of the paradigms currently used in formative fields and regarding teaching-learning processes in peer groups are mainly thought of as an inter-subjective exchange and a negotiation of meanings. In this context, special focus is given to the concepts of interdependence, interaction and system, that are in clear agreement with the paradigms of Gestalt psychology. 4th topic) Interdependence and Interaction in Cognitive Processes and Human Relationships Proposers and Organizers: P. Nicolini [University of Macerata], D. Simeone [University of Macerata], F. Herget [University of Munich], M. Soff [University of Education, Karlsruhe] In the third part of the session, the theme of interdependence and interaction in cognitive processes and interpersonal relationships is dealt with, concentrating in particular on teaching-learning processes. With respect to Pedagogy, we do not intend to form the basis for gestalt pedagogy, but to try to look at formative processes from the viewpoint of some of the classic Gestalt principles, which can stimulate new perspectives for educational processes. In particular, we will focus on one or more of

5 the following aspects: group dynamics in Lewin s field theory, insight, productive thinking, and learning intended as a process of creative adaptation. 5th topic) Self-regulating Behavior and Play-Therapy. Proposers and Organizers: E. Trombini [University of Bologna], G. Trombini [University of Bologna], M. Soff [University of Education, Karlsruhe] Moving towards therapeutic perspectives, another issue that could be addressed is that of the methodologies of education and therapy for children with problems regarding self-regulating behavior [as a selected example for the general topic of self-regulation and psychotherapy]. A model proposed by Gestalt theory is in fact that of human beings as an open system which has self-regulating tendencies with respect to elementary needs. Thus the education of children should encourage these tendencies. Disturbances in behavior can occur if there is outside intervention from adults. In these cases, play-therapy can help in restoring self-regulating behavior.

6 Session D) SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY Address for Submission: Aim of the Session: Group dynamics and the relationships between social groups were analyzed by Kurt Lewin according to some central paradigms of Gestalt theory. The aim of this session is to focus on three connected topics which a great deal of research in social psychology has received input from: action research applied to training groups, the role of minority groups and inter-group relationships. 1st topic) Action-Research in Social Psychology. Proposers and Organizers: B. Pojaghi [University of Macerata], H. Metz-Göckel [University of Dortmund] The first issue dealt with in this session concerns action-research (jointly with session C). This methodology, proposed by Kurt Lewin, has been used in a great number of studies in social psychology and in the educational and formative fields. It can reasonably still be considered an innovation. For this reason, it is important to start this session with an introduction to action research, to explain its main characteristics and its peculiarities. 2nd topic) Inter-group Conflict and the Role of Minority Groups. Proposers and Organizers: B. Pojaghi [University of Macerata], H. Metz-Göckel [University of Dortmund] The central issue in this second part of the session is another relationship discussed by Kurt Lewin: that of conflict. Special attention will be paid to the role of minority groups and to inter-group conflicts. Various interesting branches of research in social psychology can be considered to be direct developments of these main ideas, even though they do not refer explicitly to Lewin s psychology. This is the case in research on the role of active minority groups and of studies on ingroup outgroup relationships. 3rd topic) Group Dynamics and Training. Proposers and Organizers: B. Pojaghi [University of Macerata], H. Metz-Göckel [University of Dortmund] Group dynamics and the field of training is a theme that has significantly developed as a result of Lewin s psychological theories. This is still a topic of investigation in current research on social psychology. This topic, which is closely linked to the issues of field theory and action research, will be developed focusing on the studies investigating the part group training plays regarding active participation in personal and social changes. 4th topic) The Gestalt Theory of Ethics and Contemporary Philosophical Theories of Virtues. Proposers and Organizers: G. Galli [University of Macerata], M. Ricciardi [Ûniversity of Milano], H. Metz-Göckel [University of Dortmund] Gestalt theoretical views on ethics found significant parallels in recent concepts developed by contemporary philosophical schools (Levinas, Anscombe).