Action and Interaction: the Study of Social Cognition in Germany and the United States

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Abstract
A collection of essays and articles mostly by German psychologists on the subject of social cognition is reviewed. Of particular interest is the introductory exposition of Handlungstheorie (action theory), an orientation stressing goal-directed action and its intended or unintended consequences as central categories for psychological analysis. This approach is employed in a subsequent chapter to provide a structural basis for Kohlberg’s stages of moral development. Other contributions emphasize the influence of motivation, ego defenses, and other performance factors on moral reasoning. It is argued that if the action theory approach as represented in this collection is taken to its logical conclusion, it implies a relational view of social cognition according to which knowledge of the relation between self and other is more fundamental than knowledge of self and other as separate entities.

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