Abstract

RUIZ-DANEGGER, Constanza; FERNANDEZ-ACEVEDO, Yolanda  and  MORENO, José Eduardo. “Sophistication” as a Dimension of Change in Developing a Personal Epistemology. Rev. Costarric. Psic [online]. 2016, vol.35, n.2, pp.20-36. ISSN 1659-2913.  http://dx.doi.org/10.22544/rcps.v35i02.02.

This work aims to refine the notion of “developmental change” by studying its dimensionality, i.e., the whole of its dimensions or aspects. In that context, “sophistication” would be the dimension usually seen as synonymous with “developmental change”. It is proposed to probe it from a) a formal criterion: (statistical significance of differences) and two substantial ones: (b) the contrast of the “weak” vs. “strong” character of belief development, and c) their correspondence with predictions from the literature. For their study on quantitative data, the following was suggested: a) MANOVA; b) a device to locate the beliefs in their continuum of meaning, and analyze their evolution; and c) to detail the shape and meaning of trajectories defined by the data set. Such procedures were used on data from a wider investigation on the development of epistemological beliefs about science and technology in secondary technical vocational education students. A not yet informed epistemological position (“advanced objectivism”), evidence of the distinction between “weak” and “strong sophistication” in the meanings assigned to epistemological beliefs, and several form patterns were found in the trajectories. These findings are strictly the result of proposing the notion of “sophistication”.

Keywords : Developmental change; dimensionality; epistemological development; developmental trajectories.

        · abstract in Spanish     · text in Spanish     · Spanish ( pdf )