Meditations on Meditations on MediationMediation

Universitetet i OsloUniversitetet i OsloMay 2004May 2004James V. WertschJames V. Wertsch

Washington UniversityWashington Universityin St. Louisin St. Louis

jwertsch@wustl.edujwertsch@wustl.edu

Mediation: Starting PointsMediation: Starting Points

Human action, including mental Human action, including mental processesprocesses– Almost always mediatedAlmost always mediated

Humans don’t act in a direct, immediate way Humans don’t act in a direct, immediate way on social and physical worldon social and physical world

Humans use tools and signs Humans use tools and signs Humans as tool-using animalsHumans as tool-using animals

– Especially, humans as “story telling” animals Especially, humans as “story telling” animals (MacIntyre)(MacIntyre)

Mediation: Starting PointsMediation: Starting Points

Cultural tools are situated:Cultural tools are situated:– HistoricallyHistorically– CulturallyCulturally– InstitutionallyInstitutionally

Sociocultural situatedness of cultural Sociocultural situatedness of cultural tools => Sociocultural situatedness tools => Sociocultural situatedness of human actionof human action

Vygotsky on MediationVygotsky on Mediation

““A central fact of our psychology is the A central fact of our psychology is the fact of mediation” (oposredovanie) fact of mediation” (oposredovanie) (1933)(1933)

- Russian - Russian oposredovanieoposredovanie

- root: - root: credstvocredstvo = means, = means, resourcesresources

Vygotsky on MediationVygotsky on Mediation

Lifelong concern, e.g., “The Instrumental MethodLifelong concern, e.g., “The Instrumental Methodin Psychology” (1930) in Psychology” (1930)

Signs are “artificial formations . . . [that] are social, not Signs are “artificial formations . . . [that] are social, not organic or individual” [including] “language; various organic or individual” [including] “language; various systems for counting; mnemonic techniques; algebraic systems for counting; mnemonic techniques; algebraic symbol systems; works of art; writing; schemes, symbol systems; works of art; writing; schemes,

diagrams, diagrams, maps, and mechanical drawings; all sorts of maps, and mechanical drawings; all sorts of

conventional conventional signs”signs”

Vygotsky on MediationVygotsky on Mediation

Signs (i.e., “cultural tools”):Signs (i.e., “cultural tools”):

- “artificial”: “not natural or part of the - “artificial”: “not natural or part of the “natural line of development,” i.e., “not “natural line of development,” i.e., “not organic”organic”

- “social” and “not individual”: not - “social” and “not individual”: not independently invented, but socioculturally independently invented, but socioculturally

situated, derivative of social processessituated, derivative of social processes

Vygotsky: 2 Views on Vygotsky: 2 Views on MediationMediation

Views reflect different:Views reflect different:– Audiences to whom is remarks were Audiences to whom is remarks were

directeddirected

– Professional “social languages”Professional “social languages”

Psychology and physiology of his day vs. Psychology and physiology of his day vs. Poetics and semiotic analysisPoetics and semiotic analysis

2 Views on Mediation2 Views on Mediation

1. “Explicit mediation”1. “Explicit mediation”

- Overt, intentional introduction of a - Overt, intentional introduction of a “stimulus means” into the flow “stimulus means” into the flow

of of actionaction

- Materiality of mediational means is - Materiality of mediational means is obvious and non-transitoryobvious and non-transitory

Explicit MediationExplicit Mediation

Vygotsky: Leont’ev’s “Forbidden Vygotsky: Leont’ev’s “Forbidden Colors Task”Colors Task”

In contemporary cognitive science:In contemporary cognitive science:– Hutchins’s “Sociotechnical systems” Hutchins’s “Sociotechnical systems”

used to regulate systemused to regulate system

- “How a Cockpit Remembers Its Speed”- “How a Cockpit Remembers Its Speed”

2. Implicit Mediation2. Implicit Mediation

– Vygotsky: egocentric and inner speechVygotsky: egocentric and inner speech Signs are more “transparent”Signs are more “transparent”

– Appear to be more fleeting and Appear to be more fleeting and ephemeralephemeral

– Less accessible to conscious reflectionLess accessible to conscious reflection– But in actuality, signs are still materialBut in actuality, signs are still material

Signs already function in communicationSigns already function in communication– Not artificially created and introduced Not artificially created and introduced

into problem solving or cognitive actioninto problem solving or cognitive action– Signs evolve, are not designedSigns evolve, are not designed

Heavy influence of Gustav Gustavovich Heavy influence of Gustav Gustavovich Shpet and HumboldtShpet and Humboldt

Benveniste on Explicit vs.Benveniste on Explicit vs.Implicit MediationImplicit Mediation

The pick, the arrow, and the wheel are not The pick, the arrow, and the wheel are not

in nature. They are fabrications. in nature. They are fabrications. Language Language

is in the nature of man, and he does not is in the nature of man, and he does not

prefabricate it. . . It is in and through prefabricate it. . . It is in and through

language that man constitutes himself as a language that man constitutes himself as a

subjectsubject

Explicit MediationExplicit Mediation

Forbidden Colors TaskForbidden Colors Task– Memory with and without external Memory with and without external

stimulus meansstimulus means– 5-6-year-olds: signs not understood or 5-6-year-olds: signs not understood or

usedused No function or efficacy of signsNo function or efficacy of signs Children saw no connection to memory taskChildren saw no connection to memory task

– 10-13-year-olds: signs helped 10-13-year-olds: signs helped performanceperformance

Forbidden Colors TaskForbidden Colors Task

We have found that sign operations appearWe have found that sign operations appearas the result of a complex and prolonged processas the result of a complex and prolonged processsubject to all the basic laws of psychologicalsubject to all the basic laws of psychologicalevolution. evolution. This means that sign-using activity in This means that sign-using activity in children is neither simply invented nor passed children is neither simply invented nor passed down from adults;down from adults; rather it arises from something rather it arises from somethingthat is originally not a sign operation and becomesthat is originally not a sign operation and becomesone only after a series of one only after a series of qualitiativequalitiative transformation. (1978)transformation. (1978)

Explicit MediationExplicit Mediation

Vygotsky’s use of a professional social Vygotsky’s use of a professional social language of stimulus-means, but:language of stimulus-means, but:

– Notions of meaning creep into the pictureNotions of meaning creep into the picture

– The functional significance, efficacy, The functional significance, efficacy, meaning (?) of stimulus-means changes meaning (?) of stimulus-means changes with developmentwith development

Implicit MediationImplicit Mediation

Best version: Chapter 7 of Best version: Chapter 7 of Thinking and Thinking and Speaking Speaking (“Mysl’ i Slovo” [“Thought and (“Mysl’ i Slovo” [“Thought and Word”])Word”])

– Tension, dialectic between two poles of an Tension, dialectic between two poles of an opposition rather than between two opposition rather than between two independently existing phenomenaindependently existing phenomena

– Word meaning as unit for analyzing this Word meaning as unit for analyzing this tensiontension

Word and Thought TensionWord and Thought Tension

““Thought”: relatively inchoate, fused, Thought”: relatively inchoate, fused, unpartitioned, and nonsequentialunpartitioned, and nonsequential

““Word”: introduces segmentation and Word”: introduces segmentation and sequencing sequencing

Straight out of Shpet’s Straight out of Shpet’s The Internal The Internal Form of the WordForm of the Word (1927) (1927)

ShpetShpetLanguage is not completed action, “ergon,” but Language is not completed action, “ergon,” but protracted activity, “energeia,” that is, as Humboldtprotracted activity, “energeia,” that is, as Humboldtexplained, “perpetually repeated work of the spirit, directedexplained, “perpetually repeated work of the spirit, directedat making articulate sound the means for expressingat making articulate sound the means for expressingthought.” . . . Synthesis in this case does not consist ofthought.” . . . Synthesis in this case does not consist oftying together two abstracted units: pure thought and puretying together two abstracted units: pure thought and puresound, but two members of a unified concrete structure,sound, but two members of a unified concrete structure,two terms of relationship: object oriented sense content. . . two terms of relationship: object oriented sense content. . . and the external form of its verbal expression-embodimentand the external form of its verbal expression-embodiment. . . in sensory perceptible forms. These forms are. . . in sensory perceptible forms. These forms aretransformed through a relation to sense from natural formstransformed through a relation to sense from natural formscombined in the “thing” to social signification specifically incombined in the “thing” to social signification specifically inthe signs of cultural meaning. the signs of cultural meaning.

Tension between Tension between Word and ThoughtWord and Thought

Mediation in this case:Mediation in this case:

– Not explicitNot explicit

– Not the object of conscious reflectionNot the object of conscious reflection

– Not externally or intentionally Not externally or intentionally introducedintroduced

A Basic Claim for Vygotsky: A Basic Claim for Vygotsky: Sign Meaning Sign Meaning DevelopsDevelops

Applies to Applies to bothboth forms of mediation forms of mediation

Grounded in basic semiotic insights Grounded in basic semiotic insights about materiality of “sign vehicle” and about materiality of “sign vehicle” and meaningmeaning

Material sign vehicle used before its Material sign vehicle used before its significance or fundtion is understoodsignificance or fundtion is understood– Cazden’s “performance before competence”Cazden’s “performance before competence”

Development of Sign Meaning Development of Sign Meaning and Intersubjectivityand Intersubjectivity

Process of mediation is incredibly Process of mediation is incredibly robust with regard to:robust with regard to:

– Use of material signs before they are Use of material signs before they are understoodunderstood

– Rommetveit’s “carburetor” exampleRommetveit’s “carburetor” example– Use of cards in Forbidden Colors TaskUse of cards in Forbidden Colors Task– Use of words without understandingUse of words without understanding

Statistics Instruction Statistics Instruction ExampleExample

Graph paper as material sign vehicleGraph paper as material sign vehicle Instructions to find “typical” value and Instructions to find “typical” value and

“spread” of observations“spread” of observations

Early stages: little meaning or functional Early stages: little meaning or functional significance of termssignificance of terms– But But even hereeven here material sign vehicle affords and material sign vehicle affords and

constrains actionconstrains action– Sign vehicle provides basis for intersubjectivitySign vehicle provides basis for intersubjectivity

ConclusionConclusion

Need to differentiate forms of Need to differentiate forms of mediationmediation– Different forms of mediation => different Different forms of mediation => different

forms of actionforms of action Explicit vs. Implicit mediationExplicit vs. Implicit mediation Sign meaning developsSign meaning develops applies to both applies to both

forms of mediationforms of mediation Both share the property that material Both share the property that material

sign vehicles are used sign vehicles are used beforebefore understanding their meaningunderstanding their meaning