transcultural communication networks and adult cognitive development

„Networks of transnational and transcultural communication“

DGPuK Dortmund November 22-23, 2012

Bringing social psychology back in: Transcultural communication networks and adult cognitive development

Uwe Krüger

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1. Introduction

2. Stages of individual development (Piaget, Kohlberg)

3. Stages of societal development (Habermas, Commons)

4. Implications for transcultural communication networks

Outline

Motivation: What can social network analysis learn from psychology?

Introduction Individual Societal Implications

Social network analysis primarily addresses the “outer”

characteristics of human interrelations

Hardly considers the inner processes of humans, which is

the subject of psychology

Inner processes of humans may have an important impact

on the outer characteristics of their relations

For describing networks of transcultural communication

approaches of adult cognitive development are important

1. Introduction




Outline

Humans of different ages think in

qualitatively different ways

mental structures, used to perceive and

interpret the world, dramatically change

Successive decrease of egocentrism

Capacity for abstraction and for

complex views and actions increases

Simple actions are combined, integrated

and differentiated

Jean Piaget: Cognitive development proceeds in stages


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1. Sensorimotor stage (age 0-2):

Simple actions: Sucking, Watching, Grasping, Pushing

Combination and coordination

2. Pre-operational stage (age 2-7):

Mental representations of physically absent objects

Unable to take others‘ perspectives

Magical and animist thinking predominates

Jean Piaget identified 4 stages of cognitive development

Societal Implications Introduction Individual

3. Concrete-operational stage (age 7-11):

Ability to solve practical problems through trial-and-error

Sound, general conclusions based on concrete observations

(inductive logic)

4. Formal-operational stage (age 11 and older):

Deal with abstract concepts and hypothetical problems

Deductive logic

Systematic search for answers to the big questions

Jean Piaget identified 4 stages of cognitive development


Conscious perception is the basis for

moral weightings

Kohlberg distinguished 6 stages, grouped

into 3 levels: pre-conventional,

conventional, post-conventional

Decreasing egocentrism

Increasing acceptance of abstract,

universal principles

Increasing ability to solve moral dilemmas

Lawrence Kohlberg: Cognitive development is connected with moral judgement

Societal Implications

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Introduction Individual

A Pre-conventional level

1. The Stage of Punishment and Obedience: Avoiding negative

sanctions

2. The Stage of Individual Instrumental Purpose and Exchange :

Seeking for benefit

B Conventional level

3. The Stage of Mutual Interpersonal Expections, Relationships, and

Conformity: Good boy/good girl attitude

4. The Stage of Social System and Conscience Maintenance: Law

and order

Lawrence Kohlberg identified 6 stages of moral development


C Post-conventional level

5. The Stage of Social Contract and Individual Rights: Laws can be

changed by majority

6. The Stage of Universal Ethical Principles: Dignity and justice

Lawrence Kohlberg identified 6 stages of moral development


The stages form an invariant, irreversible, and consecutive

sequence of discrete structures: Skipping stages is impossible,

regression is impossible

The stages form a hierarchy: Structures of higher stage

transcend those of the lower one

The stages are universal: They can be observed in the African

jungle as well as in an American Suburb or in the Swiss

mountains

Piaget‘s and Kohlberg‘s strong hypotheses


1. Introduction




Outline

Rational, self-reflexive discourse requires a

moral stage on the post-conventional level

Human development involves a „change of

attitude for the transition from action to

discourse. A child growing up, and caught

up, in the communicative practice of

everyday life is not able at the start to

effect this attitude change.“ (Habermas

1999: 125)

Jürgen Habermas: Communicative action depends on the stage of development


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Jürgen Habermas: Communicative action depends on the stage of development

Implications

Stages of moral

development (Kohlberg)

Types of social interactions

(Habermas)

Pre-conventional (1 + 2) Authority-driven interaction +

cooperation driven by self-

interest

Conventional (3 + 4) Interaction driven by norms and

social roles

Post-conventional (5 + 6) Discourse

Introduction Individual Societal

(Habermas 1999)

Jürgen Habermas: Individual and societal development are tightly connected

Implications

The individual‘s development depends on and can be fostered

by education and demands from the social environment

Society can learn from above-average individuals: „(…) social

systems can form new structures by utilizing the learning

capacities of their members in order to cope with systems

problems which threaten the maintenance of the self.”

(Habermas 1975: 294)


Jürgen Habermas: Societies go through an evolutionary learning process

Implications

from paleolithic societies with magical-animistic world view

(parallels to the pre-operational stage) and traditional societies

with a mythical-religious world view to modern societies with

rationalized world view (parallels to formal-operational

thinking and post-conventional moral)

Different societies can be put into a hierarchical order, not by

content, but by form, i.e. by structure of consciousness and

organizational complexity


„Model of Hierarchical Complexity“

(MHC) offers a standard method of

examining the universal patterns of

evolution and development

It refers to tasks and the performance of

people on these tasks (and tasks can

contain any kind of information)

quantitative principles – independent from

mentalistic, cultural, or other contextual

explanations

Michael Commons: Scoring societies with mathematical methods

Individual Implications

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Introduction Societal

Michael Commons: How complex is a behavior?


Higher-order actions are defined in terms of lower-order actions

organize and transform those lower-order actions

organize lower-order actions in a non-arbitrary way

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Michael Commons postulates 14 orders of hierarchical complexity


0 – Calculatory

1 – Sensory or motor

2 – Circular sensory-motor

3 – Sensory-motor

4 – Nominal

5 – Sentential

6 – Pre-operational

7 – Primary

8 – Concrete

9 – Abstract

10 – Formal

11 – Systematic

12 – Metasystematic

13 – Paradigmatic

14 – Cross-Paradigmatic


Michael Commons applies the MHC also to societal development


Concrete stage societies: „focuses on events, people, and places

that are personally known. (…) dominated by subsistence

concerns and demonstrate short time horizons. Social

behaviour is characterized by reciprocal exchanges involving

concrete goods and services, and simple social rules.“

Abstract stage societies: „group associations begin as

memberships in political parties, trade associations and unions,

and religious organizations. In contrast to the concrete stage,

one can feel that one is in a social relationship with others and

be loyal to it, even without proximity to other members. (…) the

beginnings of the concept of roles are learned, such that people

understand that different individuals may fill and later leave the

same role.“


Michael Commons applies the MHC also to societal development


Formal stage societies: „(…) develop empirical interests in

increasing productivity, training, and wealth distribution, which in

turn lead to formal economics and laws. (…) Truly bureaucratic

governments form, with extensive written laws and regulations

that are implemented in ‚letter of the law‘ fashion.“

Systematic stage societies: „(…) systems of relations are

coordinated among the legal, societal, corporate, economic, and

national spheres. (…) Applications of laws are more ‚in the spirit

of‘ than ‚the letter of‘ the law. (…) At this stage, more highly

abstract concepts appear, such as transparency, accountablity,

social justice, and sustainability.“ (Ross/Commons 2008: 484-487)


Michael Commons: Not all members of a society operate at the same stage


Individuals operate at multiple stages of development in

various domains

Political cultures and social systems display concurrent

operations of several different stages

Political entities “vary widely in their performance within and

across domains” (Ross/Commons 2008: 481)


1. Introduction




Outline

Partners might operate at different developmental stages

Example: Mrs. X from Germany and Mr. Y from Iraq – a

divorced couple fight a custody battle before court

Extracts from the psychological expert advice (2012):

Implication I: Communication problems in binational partnerships

Individual Societal Implications Introduction

“During the examination, Mrs. X appeared (…) self-critical and

reflected. (…) The psychological needs of the child are

perceived by her adequately. Mrs. X appeared reflected on the

child’s emotional situation. Towards the father of her child, Mrs.

X seems to be realistic-distant on the one hand, and on the

other hand unable to cope with his behavior and structure of

personality. Mrs. X is able to name positive features of the

father’s personality, and able and willing to tolerate his

relationship to their common child.”



„Mr. Y showed (…) very little self-criticism during the

examination. Towards the mother of his child, he appeared

disappointed-aversive and unable to cope with her personal

outlook on life. He is not adequately aware of his own share in

the failure of the partnership. It is difficult for him to name positive

features of the mother’s personality. (…) The child’s need for an

unstressed relationship to his mother is perceived not

adequately.“



clear differences in self-reflexivity, tolerance and awareness of

the child‘s needs (that might indicate different cognitive stages)

Implication II: Communicative failure of the West when promoting democracy

Democracy is an operation of abstract-stage societies or

higher (Commons)

Building of a democratic nation in Afghanistan or Iraq might

overstress a concrete society, because stages cannot be

skipped or rushed

Stages have to be considered for strategic communication of

governments or NGOs



(Ross 2008: 533)

Implication III: Discoursive transcultural communication

Discourse according to Habermas requires the highest stages

of cognitive and moral development

If participants cling to magical or mythical thinking, a

rational, self-reflexive discourse is hardly possible

This may effect communication networks within transnational

media players (media corporations, International Consortium of

Investigative Journalists, Reporters without Borders) as well as

media content and its reception


My argument in terms of social network analysis


the developmental

stage is an important

feature of the nodes

(e.g., persons,

organizations, states)

that has impact on the

edges (e.g.,

communicative

relations between

them).

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References

Commons, M. L (2008): Introduction to the Model of Hierarchical Complexity and its relationship

to postformal action. In: World Futures, Vol. 64, pp. 305-320.

Habermas, J. (1975): Towards a Reconstruction of Historical Materialism. In: Theory and Society,

Vol. 2, No. 3, pp. 287-300.

Habermas, J. (1984): The Theory of Communicative Action. Volume 1: Reason and the

Rationalization of Society. Boston: Beacon Press.

Habermas, J. (1999): Moral Consciousness and Communicative Action. Cambridge, MA: The

MIT Press.

Kohlberg, L. (1976): Moral development and behavior. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston.

Piaget, J. (1970): Genetic epistemology. New York: W. W. Norton.

Ross, S. N. (2008): Postformal (Mis)Communications. In: World Futures, Vol. 64, pp. 530-535.

Ross, S. N./Commons, M. L. (2008): Applying hierarchical complexity to political development.

In: World Futures, Vol. 64, pp. 480-497.

Contact

Dr. Uwe Krüger

Universität Leipzig

Institut für Kommunikations- und Medienwissenschaft, Abteilung Journalistik

Burgstr. 21 / 04109 Leipzig / Germany

Phone: ++49-341 / 97-35756

Fax: ++49-341 / 97-35799

E-mail: [email protected]

URL: www.uni-leipzig.de/journalistik

transcultural communication networks and adult cognitive development

Documents

michael commons

communication

hierarchical

communicative

world futures

order actions

moral development

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