This symposium is devoted to the question of whether and to what extent action may constitute a useful paradigm for developmental psychology, where ‘action’ is understood as voluntary behavior employed by the agent as a means of attaining certain ends. In the first contribution, Brandtstädter enlarges upon this definition, summarizes the multiple roots of action theory in psychology, and discusses some ways that an action orientation might contribute to psychological thinking with regard to aging and development. Meacham continues the discussion, emphasizing the social and interpersonal aspects of action, especially as described in Soviet psychology. An example of empirical action research is presented by Mischel, with the finding that children’s knowledge of effective delay strategies was related to their actual ability to delay gratification. Another application of the action perspective is provided by Skinner and Chapman in an effort to understand the relation between control beliefs and cognitive development. In their respective discussions of these papers, Youniss and Baltes frame the issues in terms of the individual versus the social mind and causes versus reasons as explanatory constructs.

Keywords:
Action, Development, Intention, Intersubjective communication, Personal control beliefs, Self-regulation
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© 1984 S. Karger AG, Basel
1984
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