Studies In Meaning: Exploring Constructivist Psychology

        Constructivist theories of psychology examine the ways in which people create meaningful understandings of the world and use these understandings to guide themselves through life. With their emphasis on the psychological process of human meaning making, constructivist approaches are garnering a great deal of attention within psychology. This volume marks an effort by prominent constructivist scholars both to overview varieties of constructivism and to examine the implications of constructivism for psychological research, theory, and practice. Among the constructivist approaches compared, contrasted, and integrated throughout the book’s fifteen chapters are personal construct psychology, radical constructivism, and social constructionism. Specific topics include sexual abuse, abnormal behavior, psychotherapy, human science research, and applied psychology. The contributions contained herein highlight current thinking and new directions on the burgeoning constructivist landscape.

ISBN 0-944473-57-1  2002, 358 pages

$40.00


Jonathan D. Raskin is an associate professor of psychology at the State University of New York at New Paltz. Dr. Raskin’s scholarship focuses on examining the implications of constructivist theories for psychology. He also serves as book review editor for the Journal of Constructivist Psychology and is licensed as a psychologist in New York.


Sara K. Bridges is an assistant professor of counseling psychology at the University of Memphis. Dr. Bridges’ research interests focus on constructivism, counselor education and training, and issues related to human sexuality.

Table of Contents:


Part I: Constructivist Theory and Practice Constructivism in Psychology

Personal Construct Psychology, Radical Constructivism, and Social Constructionism
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jonathan D. Raskin
Constructions of Abuse: Understanding the Effects of Childhood Sexual Abuse
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Christopher R. Erbes and Stephanie Lewis Harter
Nonvalidation vs. (In)validation: Implications for theory and practice
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Beverly M. Walker
Narrative Solutions: Toward Understanding the Art of Helpful Conversation
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Joseph Eron and Thomas Lund

Part II: Constructivist Conceptualizations of Disorder 

Disorder, Diagnoses, and the Struggles of Humanness
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Larry M. Leitner and April J. Faidley
Abnormality: Does It Define Us or Do We Define It?
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Caroline M. Stanley and Jonathan D. Raskin
The Social Construction of Disorder: From Pathology to Potential
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sheila McNamee
“Diagnosing” Behavior: Cui Bono?
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Thomas Szasz

Part III: Explorations in Constructivist Research 

Owning Research: The Appropriation of Psychological Data
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mark W. Schlutsmeyer and Nancy E. Pike
Putting the Heart Back Into Constructivist Research
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Marla J. Arvay
Towards New Methodologies For Constructivist Research: Synthesizing Knowledges For
Relational Inquiries
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Marie Hoskins

Part IV: New Directions in Constructivist Psychology

How Firm a Foundation? A Constructivist Response to
Mahrer’s Archeology of Beliefs about Psychotherapy
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Robert A. Neimeyer
The Notion of “Applied Psychology” from a Personal Construct Psychology Perspective
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . William George (Bill) Warren
Responsive Understandings in Living Encounters: Re-Figuring Intellectual Inquiry
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . John Shotter
Now What? The Personal and Professional in Constructivist Thought
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sara K. Bridges

Appendix A: Constructivist Psychology on the Internet	
Appendix B: About the North American Personal Construct Network 
Index of proper names
Subject index
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