The Origins of Action

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xv

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2. The Concept of Action: A Historical Perspective

   • Louis Oppenheimer

   Pages 1-35

3. Determinants of Action: An Organismic and Holistic Approach

   • Louis Oppenheimer

   Pages 37-63

4. Self-object Relation as a Basis of Human Development

   • Rolf Oerter

   Pages 65-100

5. The Role of Internalization in the Transfer of Mnemonic Strategies

   • Brian D. Cox, Peter A. Ornstein, Jaan Valsiner

   Pages 101-131

6. The Significance and Function of Students’ Goals1

   • Jeanette A. Lawrence, Simone E. Volet

   Pages 133-157

7. Interests and their Structural Development: Theoretical Reflections

   • Roderick van der Wilk

   Pages 159-173

8. Interest Development as Structural Change in Person-Object Relationships1

   • Benedykt Fink

   Pages 175-204

9. Continuity in Young Children’s Actions: A Consideration of Interest and Temperament

   • K. Ann Renninger, Thomas G. Leckrone

   Pages 205-238

10. Chapter 9 Interests and Their Structural Development: A Qualitative Content Analysis

    • Roderik van der Wilk, Louis Oppenheimer

    Pages 239-260

11. Back Matter

    Pages 261-265

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The Proliferation of Action Theories and Their Applications Jaan Valsiner and Louis Oppenheimer Our contemporary psychology becomes satiated by references to "action" and "activity. " Over the recent decade numerous theoretical perspectives have appeared. all of which operate with the notion of "action" (Ajzen. 1985; Eckensberger & Silbereisen. 1980; Keller & Reuss. 1984; Lantermann. 1980). each of which define it (see Oppenheimer. Chapter 1 of this volume). Likewise. the empirical literature in child psychology is filled with "action-theoretic" notions--facilitated by the ease of seeing children acting within their environments at a pace that surpasses that of even the most hyperactive adult! Of course. the empirical discourse in contemporary psychology is highly limited by its empiricistic emphasis. which dissociates empirical work from theoretically elaborate reasoning. At times. one can find in the literature an "anything goes" attitude--as long as the "umbrella" (theoretical) notion under which the given empirical study looks consensually respectable. the theoretical needs of "research" are satisfied. and psychologists can continue to accumulate "data" in their pursuit of "normal science. " The latter attitude to theory. of course, is but a convenient illusion. For any serious hope for progress in any discipline, the conceptual sphere must be explicitly developed further together with the empirical efforts. This sentiment led us to organize a symposium at the conference of the Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD) in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1987. The presentations at that symposium gave us the idea of editing a book on the origins of action.

• Action
• Content Analysis
• Europe
• data analysis
• development
• developmental psychology
• evaluation
• experiment
• psychology
• qualitative content analysis
• research

• Vakgroep Ontwikkelingspsychologie, Universiteit van Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

  Louis Oppenheimer

• Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA

  Jaan Valsiner

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