Alina Kolańczyk
Warsaw School of Social Psychology, Sopot Faculty
Abstract:
It is accentuated in the commentary (on the Wojciszke & Baryła article) that research on perception of an agent and a recipient is derived from two approaches: 1) “static”, describing the perception of an actor and an observer 2) “dynamic”, focused on the goals of the agent (actor) and the affairs of the recipient. Authors have located their theory within the second, functional approach; nevertheless, they categorize contents of perception using knowledge about the perception of an actor and an observer. The scope of “family resemblance” with respect to the contents of agent’s and recipient’s perception is discussed, as well as the promising, though limited, functionalism visible in empirical investigations. The Authors do not take into account, for example, an agent who is intensely involved in an activity, who does not evaluate himself explicitly. The declared, functional approach demands more sensitive methods of research than self-report (“paper-pencil” methods).
Keywords: goal completion, agent’s and recipient’s perceptions
Cite this article as:
Kolańczyk, A. (2006). Promising functionalism. Psychologia Społeczna, 1, 43-45.