- Department of Psychology
P.O Box 20537
University of Cyprus
1678 Nicosia
Cyprus
Charis Psaltis
University of Cyprus, Department of Psychology, Faculty Member
- Social Psychology, Developmental Psychology, History and Memory, Social Identity, Cultural Psychology, Education Policy, and 37 moreEducational Inequalities (class; race; gender etc), Social Movement, Cognitive development, Social Interaction, Stereotypes and Prejudice, Group Processes & Intergroup Relations, Dialogue, Social Developmental Psychology, Social representations (Psychology), Co Operative Learning, Jean Piaget, Cognitive Development (Psychology) (Psychology), Social Interaction and Cognitive Development, Genetic Epistemology, Intergroup Contact, Integrated Schools, Psychology, Gender, Cyprus Studies, History of Cyprus, Cyprus conflict, Developmental Social Psychology, Nationalism, National Identity, Philosophy of Psychology, Communication, Sociology of Knowledge, Jurgen Habermas, Gender and Development, Anthropology of Knowledge, Language and Social Interaction, Vygotsky, History Of Psychology, Symbolic Anthropology (Anthropology), Social Influence, History Teaching, Official Narratives and Presenting Alternative Perspectives, and Social Representationsedit
- Charis Psaltis was born in Cyprus. He is an Associate Professor of Social and Developmental Psychology at the Univers... moreCharis Psaltis was born in Cyprus. He is an Associate Professor of Social and Developmental Psychology at the University of Cyprus. He studied at the Pedagogical Academy of Cyprus (Teacher's Diploma, 1993), at the University of Cyprus (Degree in Primary Education, 1999), and at Panteion University, Athens (Degree in Psychology, 2000). He followed graduate studies at the University of Cambridge (MPhil, 2001 and PhD, 2005, in Social and Developmental Psychology). He also worked as a Post-doctoral researcher at the Oxford Center for the Study of Intergroup Conflict, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford.
He published papers in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, European Journal of Social Psychology, British Journal of Developmental Psychology, Culture & Psychology, Papers on Social Representations and Human Development.
His book with Zapiti, A. entitled "Interaction, Communication and Development: Psychological Development as a social Process" will be published in April 2014 by Routledge. ISBN: 0415643872.http://www.amazon.com/Charis-Psaltis/e/B00GK9PDFC
In May 2015 the book entitled "Social Relations in Human and Societal Development" co-edited with Alex Gillespie and Anne-Nelly Perret-Clermont was published by Palgrave Macmillan.
In 2014 he was invited and joined the Editorial Board of the British Journal of Developmental Psychology and became Associate Editor of the European Journal of Psychology of Education. He is a founding member and president of the Cyprus Association of Social Psychology, founder and director of the Univeristy of Cyprus Centre for Field Studies and founder and co-director of the Genetic Social Psychology Lab in the Depertment of Psychology of the Univeristy of Cyprus.
His research interests fall in the areas of Social interaction, learning and cognitive development, co-operative learning, Genetic social psychology, social representations of gender, intergroup contact and intergroup relations, intercultural education and integrated schools, development of national identities and history teaching and collective memory. In the last years he is developing a Genetic Social Psychological framework for the study of microgenesis, ontogenesis and sociogenesis of cognitive development and prejudice. He has studied extensively the social psychological aspects of intercommunal relations between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots in Cyprus.edit
It is well supported that intergroup contact reduces prejudice and that positive contact can increase trust and improve attitudes between groups in conflict. In segregated societies, however, contact is often difficult or undesirable when... more
It is well supported that intergroup contact reduces prejudice and that positive contact can increase trust and improve attitudes between groups in conflict. In segregated societies, however, contact is often difficult or undesirable when political parties or institutions obstruct interactions contact. Therefore, when contact does occur it is vital that it is of positive quality that could potentially lead to increased intentions for further contact, as a way of facilitating sustained contact, desegregation and promoting peace. With this in mind, the present article examines intergroup contact, intergroup trust, and future contact intentions in 2 conflict settings; Cyprus and Northern Ireland. Participants took part in an online survey that asked them to report on their contact experiences, intergroup trust, outgroup evaluation, and future contact intentions. Separate models are tested for Protestants and Catholics in Northern Ireland (n 268) and for Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots in Cyprus (n 408). As expected, participants from Northern Ireland experienced more and better quality contact compared with participants from Cyprus. For Protestants, Catholics, and Greek Cypriots, results show that quality of contact, above quantity of contact, predicts future contact intentions, and improved attitudes through the mediation of intergroup trust. For Turkish Cypriots, contact quality additionally directly predicted outgroup evaluation without necessarily increasing trust. We argue that positive contact is an important route for promoting desegregation in societies with high residential segregation but that it is vital to understand contextual and group status when understanding these relationships.
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In historically divided societies, narratives play an important role in understanding the maintenance and perception of identities and group status over time. Moving beyond the consequences of identity continuity perceptions, in this... more
In historically divided societies, narratives play an important role in understanding the maintenance and perception of identities and group status over time. Moving beyond the consequences of identity continuity perceptions, in this paper we were interested in the antecedents of perceived collective continuity, specifically the role of narratives and threat perceptions. We predicted that endorsement of ingroup narratives would be associated with higher perceived continuity through stronger perceptions of group threat. To test this hypothesis, we recruited participants from both majority and minority groups in Northern Ireland (N = 268) and in Cyprus (N = 413) to complete an online survey to examine their endorsement of ingroup and outgroup narratives, their perceptions of identity continuity and feelings of threat. We tested these predictions with path analyses. In line with our hypothesis, results demonstrate that, for both majority and minority groups, if group members feel threatened they are more likely to endorse their ingroup historical narrative as this helps them to maintain a sense of continuity of their ingroup identity. Findings are discussed in relation to the importance of considering narratives in intergroup relations.
Research Interests: History, Social Psychology, Social Sciences, Narrative, Cyprus Studies, and 11 moreNarrative Psychology, Nationalism, Narrative Methods, Group Processes & Intergroup Relations, Cyprus conflict, Hermeneutics and Narrative, Narrative and Identity, Narrative Theory, Teaching History, Northern Ireland and the Troubles, and Inter-civilization contact and conflict
Direct contact between members of ethnic groups is proven to reduce intergroup prejudice. Recent research, however, explores the effects of alternative types of contact, amongst them via social networks in virtual space. This is... more
Direct contact between members of ethnic groups is proven to reduce intergroup prejudice. Recent research, however, explores the effects of alternative types of contact, amongst them via social networks in virtual space. This is especially important for e.g. post-conflict societies in which there is limited opportunity for direct contact between the groups. Drawing from a sample of 374 ethnic majority students from three such societies e Serbia, Croatia, and Cyprus, we tested if the number of online inter-ethnic friends predicted more positive out-group attitudes over and above the effect of face-to-face contacts. This relationship testified to the added value of online ties. We also tested if intergroup anxiety and perceived ethnic threat would mediate the relationship between online friendships and out-group attitudes. Results from the combined sample showed clear mediation effects. This suggested that the mechanisms through which online contact reduces prejudice are comparable to the mechanisms detected for face-to-face contact. Yet the mediation was not convincingly replicated at the country level. Further research could make use of this simple measure of alternative contact, as well as test a different set of mediators to identify mechanisms that are possibly unique to online contacts.
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ABSTRACT The chapter discusses micorgenesis as a motor for the genetic transformation of social representations drawing on the original theory of Moscovici and its more recent elaboration by Gerard Duveen. It is argued that social... more
ABSTRACT The chapter discusses micorgenesis as a motor for the genetic transformation of social representations drawing on the original theory of Moscovici and its more recent elaboration by Gerard Duveen. It is argued that social representations are evoked and can be renegotiated in all social interactions through the social identities asserted in the activity of individuals since a genetic process of negotiation of both social representations and identities is taking place in social interaction. Such a process of social influence can take varying forms. Some of these forms can be an opportunity for the reconstruction of knowledge and other times it is an opportunity for the transmission of beliefs or not an opportunity for change at all. Such distinctions bring to the fore the issue of how social representations theory deals with societal heterogeneity as a way of avoiding the reification of community or culture. This is because as it is claimed links between process and structure can be identified. To make this argument the chapter draws on Piagetian theorising and the recent work of the third generation of research in social interaction and cognitive development that was initiated in Cambridge around Gerard Duveen (for reviews and commentaries of this work see Ferrari, 2007; Castorina, 2010; Martin, 2007; Maynard, 2009; Nicolopoulou& Weintraub, 2009; Psaltis, Duveen & Perret-Clermont, 2010; Psaltis, 2011b; Simao, 2003; Sorsana & Trognon, 2011). In particular it is discussed how various distinctive forms of social representations like the reified and the consensual, representations based on knowledge and representations based on belief, emancipated, polemical and hegemonic all relate with forms of communication and the kind of social relations between individuals and groups that sustain such representations. In addition, the conditions of transformation and non-transformation of social representations in social interaction is discussed through examples from social representations of history in conflicting societies and the notion of resistance is revisited in light of empirical findings identifying different strategies of resistance.
The chapter discusses micorgenesis as a motor for the genetic transformation of social representations drawing on the original theory of Moscovici and its more recent elaboration by Gerard Duveen. It is argued that social representations... more
The chapter discusses micorgenesis as a motor for the genetic transformation of social representations drawing on the original theory of Moscovici and its more recent elaboration by Gerard Duveen. It is argued that social representations are evoked and can be renegotiated in all social interactions through the social identities asserted in the activity of individuals since a genetic process of negotiation of both social representations and identities is taking place in social interaction. Such a process of social influence can take varying forms. Some of these forms can be an opportunity for the reconstruction of knowledge and other times it is an opportunity for the transmission of beliefs or not an opportunity for change at all. Such distinctions bring to the fore the issue of how social representations theory deals with societal heterogeneity as a way of avoiding the reification of community or culture. This is because as it is claimed links between process and structure can be i...
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Η ερευνητική αυτή έκθεση αφορά ξεκινά με μια επισκόπηση της ιστορίας της Κύπρου και των μικτών χωριών της, η οποία σκιαγραφεί τα κύρια κοινωνικο-πολιτικά και ιστορικά γεγονότα της Οθωμανικής περιόδου μέχρι σήμερα. Οι διομαδικές διεργασίες... more
Η ερευνητική αυτή έκθεση αφορά ξεκινά με μια επισκόπηση της ιστορίας της Κύπρου και των μικτών χωριών της, η οποία σκιαγραφεί τα κύρια κοινωνικο-πολιτικά και ιστορικά γεγονότα της Οθωμανικής περιόδου μέχρι σήμερα. Οι διομαδικές διεργασίες που εκτυλίσσονταν αποτελούν το σημείο εστίασης της επόμενης ενότητας, η οποία αντλεί από την έρευνα στο πεδίο της κοινωνικής ψυχολογίας για να εξετάσει τον τρόπο με τον οποίο σχηματίζονται οι κοινωνικές ομάδες, τους παράγοντες που οδηγούν στη διομαδική σύγκρουση όπως επίσης και τους τρόπους με τους οποίους η διομαδική σύγκρουση μπορεί να μειωθεί. Εξετάζεται επίσης ο ρόλος του τοπικού και κοινωνικοπολιτικού συγκειμένου στη διαμόρφωση της μνήμης του παρελθόντος. Η επόμενη ενότητα παρουσιάζει μια ευρεία ανασκόπηση της υπάρχουσας βιβλιογραφίας σχετικά με τη ζωή στα μικτά χωριά της Κύπρου και αναφέρεται σε ζητήματα όπως οι μικτοί γάμοι, η εκπαίδευση, η θρησκεία κτλ. Στεκόμαστε ιδιαίτερα σε έρευνες που διεξήχθηκαν στο μικτό χωριό της Πύλας το οποίο, απ’ ...
Bu rapor, Kıbrıs’ın tarihi ile birlikte karma köylerine, Osmanlı döneminden günümüze kadar, başlıca sosyo-politik ve tarihsel olayların ana hatlarını çizen genel bir bakışla başlamaktadır. Karma köylerdeki aktif gruplararası süreçler;... more
Bu rapor, Kıbrıs’ın tarihi ile birlikte karma köylerine, Osmanlı döneminden günümüze kadar, başlıca sosyo-politik ve tarihsel olayların ana hatlarını çizen genel bir bakışla başlamaktadır. Karma köylerdeki aktif gruplararası süreçler; sosyal grupların içinde oluştuğu biçimlere, gruplararası çatışmaya neden olan faktörlere ve gruplararası çatışmanın azaltılabileceği yollara işaret etmek amacıyla, sosyo-psikolojik araştırmalardan esinlenen bir sonraki bölümün temel odak noktasıdır. Buna ek olarak, geçmişle ilgili belleğin şekillenmesinde durumsal ve sosyo-politik faktörlerin rolü irdelenmektedir. Bir sonraki bölüm; karışık evlilikler, eğitim, din ve benzeriyle ilgili köy yaşamından kesitlere göndermeler yaparak, Kıbrıs’ın karma köylerindeki yaşam üzerine mevcut literatürün kapsamlı bir değerlendirmesini sunmaktadır. Kıbrıs’ın tüm karma köyleri arasında araştırmalara en çok konu olan karma köy Pile üzerine yapılan çalışmaya özel bir yer verilmiştir. Ayrıca, sakinlerinin yeniden uzlaşma...
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Ever since the origin of the contact hypothesis, social scientists have speculated about the positive effects of intergroup contact in reducing prejudice trends. Recently, scholars began to theorize about the potential of a... more
Ever since the origin of the contact hypothesis, social scientists have speculated about the positive effects of intergroup contact in reducing prejudice trends. Recently, scholars began to theorize about the potential of a contact‐prejudice effect without the presence of actual contact (direct or indirect) with out‐group members; what it is known as the Secondary Transfer Effect (STE). This study investigates the STE theory by examining whether contact with one out‐group correlates with positive attitudes towards other out‐groups. In addition, the STE was compared with direct contact, and mediation effects are presented and discussed. The research was carried through a cross sectional design and 935 Greek‐Cypriot adults from 18 to 52 years (μ= 23) participated in the study. Respondents were interviewed over the phone by psychology students that were trained specifically for this purpose. The questionnaire included the following four variables: Contact with out‐group members, feelings towards out‐group members, identification with in‐group, and identification with European identity. The variables for contact and feelings were measured by four items each accounting for a different out‐group, namely Erasmus students, Greeks, Immigrants and Turkish Cypriots. Results from the study support the contact hypothesis and partially verify the STE assumption. Furthermore, mediation analysis reveals the multi‐dimensional character of intergroup relations and underlines the importance of recognising the contribution of each involved variable more precisely. This line of research is crucial for the development of the contact theory as an effective intervention tool in reducing prejudice.
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Discussions about the methodology of history teaching in the Cypriot classrooms and the nature of historical knowledge in relation to reconciliation are rarely, if ever, the topic of public debate. On the contrary, the mere thought of... more
Discussions about the methodology of history teaching in the Cypriot classrooms and the nature of historical knowledge in relation to reconciliation are rarely, if ever, the topic of public debate. On the contrary, the mere thought of revising the school history textbooks sparks, almost always, heated debates on the content of history textbooks and the terminology used to describe sensitive periods of the history of Cyprus. These overreactions to the change of history textbooks often reveal an underlying simplified belief that history ...
Accessible online at: www.karger.com/hde Fax +41 61 306 12 34 E-Mail karger@karger.ch www.karger.com ... William Arsenio Avi Ron Astor Joe Becker Jan Boom Jochen Brandstadter Nicole Campione-Barr Laura Carstensen Michael Chandler Richard... more
Accessible online at: www.karger.com/hde Fax +41 61 306 12 34 E-Mail karger@karger.ch www.karger.com ... William Arsenio Avi Ron Astor Joe Becker Jan Boom Jochen Brandstadter Nicole Campione-Barr Laura Carstensen Michael Chandler Richard Cowen Colette ...
In his account of the development of moral judgment Piaget (1932) introduced a fundamental distinction between different types of social relationship, or more specifically he attributed different types of psychosocial processes to... more
In his account of the development of moral judgment Piaget (1932) introduced a fundamental distinction between different types of social relationship, or more specifically he attributed different types of psychosocial processes to different forms of social relationship. Where there is constraint because one participant holds more power than the other the relationship is asymmetrical, and, importantly, the knowledge which can be acquired by the dominated participant takes on a fixed and inflexible form. Piaget refers to this process as ...
Research Interests: Psychology, Cognitive Science, Social Psychology, Developmental Psychology, Language and Social Interaction, and 16 moreCultural Psychology, Jean Piaget, Gender, Culture, Myths and Symbols as carriers of unconscious content, Gender and Development, Linguistics, Symbolic Anthropology (Anthropology), Vygotsky, Case Study, Work Life Balance, Labour Market Dynamics, Body of Knowledge, Culture Psychology, Age Groups, and Life course transitions
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About the book Social interaction is part of human life and is the engine which drives an individual's psychological development, creating changes on all levels of society. Through a collection of essays by internationally renowned... more
About the book
Social interaction is part of human life and is the engine which drives an individual's psychological development, creating changes on all levels of society. Through a collection of essays by internationally renowned academics from a range of disciplines, including social psychology, international relations and child development, Social Relations in Human and Societal Development examines the effect of this integral force on human life. Each chapter
explores the role of social relations in a particular domain to provide a broad understanding of the role of social relations in human and societal development.
Social interaction is part of human life and is the engine which drives an individual's psychological development, creating changes on all levels of society. Through a collection of essays by internationally renowned academics from a range of disciplines, including social psychology, international relations and child development, Social Relations in Human and Societal Development examines the effect of this integral force on human life. Each chapter
explores the role of social relations in a particular domain to provide a broad understanding of the role of social relations in human and societal development.
Research Interests: Social Psychology, Developmental Psychology, Development Economics, Development Studies, International Development, and 7 moreSocial Representations, Cyprus Studies, Sustainable Development, Jean Piaget, Group Processes & Intergroup Relations, Lev Vygotsky, and Inter-civilization contact and conflict
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The chapter discusses microrgenesis as a motor for the genetic transformation of social representations drawing on the original theory of Moscovici and its more recent elaboration by Gerard Duveen. After a genealogy of the idea of... more
The chapter discusses microrgenesis as a motor for the genetic transformation of social representations drawing on the original theory of Moscovici and its more recent elaboration by Gerard Duveen. After a genealogy of the idea of microgenesis in psychology is presented, It is argued that social representations are evoked and can be renegotiated in all social interactions through the social identities asserted in the activity of individuals. In social interaction a genetic process of negotiation of both social representations and identities is taking place. Such a process of social influence can be described as varying forms of communication forms or conversation types. Some of these forms can be an opportunity for the reconstruction of knowledge and other times it is an opportunity for the transmission of beliefs or not an opportunity for change at all. Such distinctions bring to the fore the issue of how social representations theory deals with societal heterogeneity as a way of avoiding the reification of community or culture as well as offering the tools for a critical genetic social psychology.
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Symbols are, first of all, a means of representation as they stand in the place of something else. From the perspective of genetic social psychology representations have a symbolic function since they use symbols to signify, to make sense... more
Symbols are, first of all, a means of representation as they stand in the place of something else. From the perspective of genetic social psychology representations have a symbolic function since they use symbols to signify, to make sense of and to establish the real. Representations are simultaneously social as they are formed and enacted in social interaction between people in their everyday life in a way that they point to particular social relations in a single community and importantly, with members from other communities. This chapter examines symbols as social representations and specifically focuses on the ways that symbolic meanings of cultural artefacts relating to intergroup conflict vary as a function of the quality of social relations between conflicting groups in the context of the unresolved Cyprus issue. The important role that intergroup contact plays in changing the meaning of symbols within and across the dividing line is highlighted, as well as related forms of communication.
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For decades there has been considerable interest in the ways that interactions between children can provide a beneficial context for the study of cognitive and social development. In this book Psaltis and Zapiti use both theoretical and... more
For decades there has been considerable interest in the ways that interactions between children can provide a beneficial context for the study of cognitive and social development. In this book Psaltis and Zapiti use both theoretical and empirical research to build on the perspectives of Piaget, Vygotsky, Moscovici, and others including the legacy of Gerard Duveen, to offer a state of the art account of research on the themes of social interaction and cognitive development.
Interaction Communication and Development discusses the significance of social identities for social interaction and cognitive development. The empirical set of studies presented and discussed focus on patterns of communication between children as they work together to solve problems. Communications are examined in detail with a focus on:
Socio-cognitive conflict, conversational moves and conversation types
The way the different forms of the interactions relate to different sources of asymmetry in the classroom
The way social representations and social identities of gender are negotiated in the interaction
This book provides an important account of how children develop through different kinds of social interactions. It will have considerable appeal for researchers in the fields of developmental psychology, socio-cultural psychology, social representations theory and education who wish to gain a deeper understanding of development and its relation to socio-cultural processes.
Interaction Communication and Development discusses the significance of social identities for social interaction and cognitive development. The empirical set of studies presented and discussed focus on patterns of communication between children as they work together to solve problems. Communications are examined in detail with a focus on:
Socio-cognitive conflict, conversational moves and conversation types
The way the different forms of the interactions relate to different sources of asymmetry in the classroom
The way social representations and social identities of gender are negotiated in the interaction
This book provides an important account of how children develop through different kinds of social interactions. It will have considerable appeal for researchers in the fields of developmental psychology, socio-cultural psychology, social representations theory and education who wish to gain a deeper understanding of development and its relation to socio-cultural processes.
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While the productive role of social interaction between peers in promoting cognitive development has been clearly established, the communicative processes through which this is achieved have not been clearly identified. This paper reports... more
While the productive role of social interaction between peers in promoting cognitive development has been clearly established, the communicative processes through which this is achieved have not been clearly identified. This paper reports a study in which 184 6.5 to 7.5 year old children were presented with a Piagetian task of conservation of liquid. Both male and female non-conservers worked with a conserving partner in either same or mixed-sex dyads, thus creating four different pair types. The pairs were asked to discuss their conflicting answers and agree upon a joint response. Cognitive progress was assessed by pre to post-test gains. The results indicated that the type of conversation established during the interaction was strongly related to the outcome. The results also indicate that the gender composition of the pairs influenced the type of conversation which occurred and the outcome measures. These results are discussed in relation to the general model of socio-cognitive conflict, and highlight the role of representations and expectations of gender in the way in which the conflict is expressed and resolved in conditions of aligned or conflicting knowledge and gender asymmetries.
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Although intergroup contact is one of the most prominent interventions to reduce prejudice, the generalization of contact effects is still a contentious issue. This research further examined the rarely studied secondary transfer effect... more
Although intergroup contact is one of the most prominent interventions to reduce prejudice, the generalization of contact effects is still a contentious issue. This research further examined the rarely studied secondary transfer effect (STE; Pettigrew, 2009), by which contact with a primary outgroup reduces prejudice toward secondary groups that are not directly involved in the contact. Across 3 cross-sectional studies conducted in Cyprus (N = 1,653), Northern Ireland (N = 1,973), and Texas (N = 275) and 1 longitudinal study conducted in Northern Ireland (N = 411), the present research sought to systematically rule out alternative accounts of the STE and to investigate 2 potential mediating mechanisms (ingroup reappraisal and attitude generalization). Results indicated that, consistent with the STE, contact with a primary outgroup predicts attitudes toward secondary outgroups, over and above contact with the secondary outgroup, socially desirable responding, and prior attitudes. Mediation analyses found strong evidence for attitude generalization but only limited evidence for ingroup reappraisal as an underlying process. Two out of 3 tests of a reverse model, where contact with the secondary outgroup predicts attitudes toward the primary outgroup, provide further evidence for an indirect effect through attitude generalization. Theoretical and practical implications of these results are discussed, and directions for future research are identified.
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This paper discusses the distinct meanings of internalization and interiorization as ways of rendering intelligible the social constitution of the psychological in a line of research that started with Piaget and extended into a... more
This paper discusses the distinct meanings of internalization and interiorization as ways of rendering intelligible the social constitution of the psychological in a line of research that started with Piaget and extended into a post-Piagetian reformulation of intelligence in successive generations of studies of the relations between social interaction and cognitive development. While the same clarity cannot be found in Vygotsky’s work, the emphasis on the cultural embeddedness of cognitive activity in contemporary cultural psychology has also been a significant influence on the evolution of this work. This paper proposes a further integration of these perspectives by developing the idea of operativity-in-context as a means of retaining the advantages of Piaget’s structural analysis of cognition whilst recognizing the situational and cultural constraints on cognitive functioning.
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The question of history teaching and learning in Cyprus often comes to the forefront of public debate, mainly in the daily press, as a contest between those who wish to change the school history textbooks and those who want them to stay... more
The question of history teaching and learning in Cyprus often comes to the forefront of public debate, mainly in the daily press, as a contest between those who wish to change the school history textbooks and those who want them to stay as they are. Although such discussions are useful, in this paper they are of secondary importance to the question of what the aims are, the methodological weaknesses and, more fundamentally, the epistemological assumptions of the current way history is being taught and learned in Greek-Cypriot schools of Cyprus. As this paper shows, one of the most important problems of teaching and learning history today in Cyprus is the understanding of history teaching by many educators as a mere transmission of beliefs and the presentation of the past as heritage. Not only this state of affairs does not promote historical understanding, but it hinders reconciliation cementing division. We conclude with a call for urgent educational reform in the epistemology, aims and methods of history teaching and learning in Cyprus.
Research Interests: History, Social Psychology, Developmental Psychology, Education, Cultural Heritage, and 10 moreHistory and Memory, Cyprus Studies, Education History, Nationalism, Cyprus conflict, The Turkish Cypriots In Northern Cyprus, History of Cyprus, Teaching & Learning (History), Teaching History, and History Teaching
While the productive role of social interaction between peers in promoting cognitive development has been clearly established, the communicative processes through which this is achieved is less clearly understood. Earlier work has... more
While the productive role of social interaction between peers in promoting cognitive
development has been clearly established, the communicative processes through which this is achieved is less clearly understood. Earlier work has established that different types of conversation become established between children as they work together on a problem, and that these types have different implications for the progress of a nonconserver. The paper focuses on the forms of recognition that emerge within these different conversation types. It reports further analyses of a study in which 226 6.5- to 7.5-year-old children were presented with a Piagetian task of conservation of liquid. Conservers and non-conservers were asked to discuss in pairs their conflicting answers and agree upon a joint response. Cognitive progress was assessed by pre- to post-test gains. Analyses of the conversational moves made by each of the participants to the conversation indicates that both non-conservers and conservers not only make characteristic contributions, but that these contributions vary across the conversation types, and hence also relate differentially to the non-conserver’s progress. More detailed qualitative analyses of the different conversation types provide insights into the ways in which different forms of recognition emerge through these interactions. These results are discussed in relation to a socio-cognitive account of development.
development has been clearly established, the communicative processes through which this is achieved is less clearly understood. Earlier work has established that different types of conversation become established between children as they work together on a problem, and that these types have different implications for the progress of a nonconserver. The paper focuses on the forms of recognition that emerge within these different conversation types. It reports further analyses of a study in which 226 6.5- to 7.5-year-old children were presented with a Piagetian task of conservation of liquid. Conservers and non-conservers were asked to discuss in pairs their conflicting answers and agree upon a joint response. Cognitive progress was assessed by pre- to post-test gains. Analyses of the conversational moves made by each of the participants to the conversation indicates that both non-conservers and conservers not only make characteristic contributions, but that these contributions vary across the conversation types, and hence also relate differentially to the non-conserver’s progress. More detailed qualitative analyses of the different conversation types provide insights into the ways in which different forms of recognition emerge through these interactions. These results are discussed in relation to a socio-cognitive account of development.
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Two hundred and sixty-four children aged 6.5–7.5 years (first graders) took part in a pre-test, interaction, and post-test experiment working on a spatial transformation task known as the ‘village task’. Cognitive progress was assessed by... more
Two hundred and sixty-four children aged 6.5–7.5 years (first graders) took part in a pre-test, interaction, and post-test experiment working on a spatial transformation task known as the ‘village task’. Cognitive progress was assessed by pre- to post-test gains in both an immediate and delayed post-test in dyads and individual participants as a control. The results indicate clear links between particular pair types with both communication processes and with learning and cognitive developmental outcomes. The present study demonstrates that gender can act as a source of status asymmetry in peer interaction to influence communication, learning, and cognitive development in same- and mixed-sex dyads.
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This study examines the role of social representations of gender and knowledge as sources of asymmetry on the features of children’s interactions as well as on their cognitive development. The research was carried through an innovative... more
This study examines the role of social representations of gender and knowledge as sources of asymmetry on the features of
children’s interactions as well as on their cognitive development. The research was carried through an innovative pre-test, first
interaction, second interaction, post-test design. One hundred fifty-nine children of the same age (6.5–7.5 years old) but of
different levels of knowledge of a spatial-transformation task collaborated in same-sex and opposite-sex dyads to find a joint
solution. In the first interaction, a child less developmentally advanced (NC) had to work with a child more developmentally
advanced (TC), whereas in the second interaction of the same gender composition, the same NC had to work with a fresh NC.
Cognitive progress was assessed using pre-test to post-test gains. The results revealed that the gender composition of the pairs and knowledge asymmetry influence not only the behavioral patterns and strategies that each partner employs in the
interaction but also the cognitive outcomes of the children. These findings shed more light to the process through which
socio-cognitive conflict gets resolved, which was considered until now a “black box.
children’s interactions as well as on their cognitive development. The research was carried through an innovative pre-test, first
interaction, second interaction, post-test design. One hundred fifty-nine children of the same age (6.5–7.5 years old) but of
different levels of knowledge of a spatial-transformation task collaborated in same-sex and opposite-sex dyads to find a joint
solution. In the first interaction, a child less developmentally advanced (NC) had to work with a child more developmentally
advanced (TC), whereas in the second interaction of the same gender composition, the same NC had to work with a fresh NC.
Cognitive progress was assessed using pre-test to post-test gains. The results revealed that the gender composition of the pairs and knowledge asymmetry influence not only the behavioral patterns and strategies that each partner employs in the
interaction but also the cognitive outcomes of the children. These findings shed more light to the process through which
socio-cognitive conflict gets resolved, which was considered until now a “black box.
Research Interests:
EduCon Cyprus provided an excellent venue for exploring a wide range of discussions on new developments and trends in higher education. Discussions about various educational practices on different themes took place such as academic... more
EduCon Cyprus provided an excellent venue for exploring a wide range of discussions on new developments and trends in higher education. Discussions about various educational practices on different themes took place such as academic ethics, teacher training in a federal Cyprus, globalization and higher education in a federal Cyprus, social functions of universities and quality in higher education and unionization in the higher education sector.
EduCon Cyprus was a two-day international conference where participants from Cyprus, Turkey, United Kingdom, Italy and Argentina took part.
Six sessions took place on five different topics at the conference. In total, twenty-one abstracts presented by twenty-seven academics.
EduCon Cyprus was a two-day international conference where participants from Cyprus, Turkey, United Kingdom, Italy and Argentina took part.
Six sessions took place on five different topics at the conference. In total, twenty-one abstracts presented by twenty-seven academics.
Research Interests:
Περίληψη Ο σκοπός της συγκεκριμένης παρουσίασης είναι διττός: 1. να παρουσιάσει και να διερευνήσει αναπαραστάσεις απειλών σε σχέση με τις συνεχιζόμενες διαπραγματεύσεις για επίλυση του κυπριακού ζητήματος στον ΕΚ Τύπο και 2. να αναλύσει... more
Περίληψη Ο σκοπός της συγκεκριμένης παρουσίασης είναι διττός: 1. να παρουσιάσει και να διερευνήσει αναπαραστάσεις απειλών σε σχέση με τις συνεχιζόμενες διαπραγματεύσεις για επίλυση του κυπριακού ζητήματος στον ΕΚ Τύπο και 2. να αναλύσει τους τρόπους με τους οποίους οι σχετικές αναπαραστάσεις μεταχειρίζονται/ διαπραγματεύονται εναλλακτικές στάσεις και προσεγγίσεις (εναλλακτικές αναπαραστάσεις). Έτσι, η παρουσίαση στοχεύει σε ένα ευρύτερο προβληματισμό για το πως οι απειλές και οι φόβοι στην επικοινωνία των διαπραγματεύσεων, ενδεχομένως να αποτρέπουν το διάλογο με εναλλακτικές αναπαραστάσεις, υποσκάπτοντας τον πραγματικό διάλογο για σύνθεση απόψεων, λειτουργώντας ως «προπαγάνδα» (βλ. Serge Moscovici). Επικεντρωνόμαστε σε δύο καθημερινές εφημερίδες, την Σημερινή και τον Φιλελεύθερο και τα άρθρα γνώμη τους (editorials) τα οποία αντανακλούν, σε μεγάλο βαθμό, την θεσμική τους στάση έναντι των υπο εξέλιξη διαπραγματεύσεων. Συγκεκριμένα, η παρουσίαση θα εστιάσει στην εφημερίδα Σημερινή και τις απειλές, τους φόβους που προέβαλε όπως η τουρκοποίηση, η διάλυση του κράτους και οι απειλές κατά του ελληνισμού. Στη βάση αυτών των πρωταρχικών αποτελεσμάτων, σκοπός είναι να προβούμε σε καταρχήν συμπεράσματα αναφορικά με τις μορφές εθνικισμού που αυτές οι αναπαραστάσεις αντανακλούν, τις εθνικές ταυτότητες τις οποίες ενδεχομένως κατασκευάζουν συνδράμοντας έτσι στο θεωρητικό διάλογο γύρω από τις κοινωνικές αναπαραστάσεις, τις ταυτότητες (Duveen, 2001; Molone, 2008) και τα παραδοσιακά μέσα ενημέρωσης αναδεικνύοντας ζητήματα λειτουργίας και περιεχομένου. Εισαγωγή Μια σειρά από επαναλαμβανόμενες απειλές κυριαρχούσαν στα άρθρα γνώμης (editorials) της εφημερίδας Σημερινή (Σ) στη διάρκεια της περιόδου εστίασης της έρευνας δηλαδή μεταξύ Νοεμβρίου 2016 και αρχές Φεβρουαρίου 2017 1 με κυρίαρχες αυτές που αφορούσαν 1. Τον τουρκικό επεκτατισμό σε περίπτωση λύσης 2. Το κράτος, όπως η διάλυση της κυπριακής δημοκρατίας, η συνομοσπονδία και ευρύτερα η μη λειτουργικότητα 3. Απειλές κατά ολόκληρου του ελληνισμού ή του ελληνικού έθνους. Στην ανάλυση, ερμηνεύουμε τα νοήματα αυτών των απειλών και το πως παρουσιάζεται η αντίθετη άποψη. Σημειώνουμε ότι, τα άρθρα δεν αγνοούν πάντα τις αντίθετες αναπαραστάσεις ούτε τις αποσιωποιούν, αντιθέτως, ενίοτε, τις σημειώνουν και/ ή ανακατασκευάζουν άμεσα και/ ή έμμεσα. Το ερώτημα λοιπόν που θέλουμε να απαντήσουμε είναι αν, όταν και εφόσον αναφέρονται στην αντίθετη άποψη (εναλλακτικές αναπαραστάσεις) το κάνουν με τρόπους που όντως επιτρέπουν τον διάλογο με αυτές ή αν αντιθέτως εμποδίζουν τον διάλογο μέσω της χρήσης αυτών που στην κοινωνική ψυχολογία ονομάζονται «semantic barriers», σημασιολογικά εμπόδια.