Trial Action: Conditions for Initiation

• Main Authors: Elkonin B.D., Semenova V.N.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Moscow State University of Psychology and Education 2018-11-01
• Series: Культурно-историческая психология
• Subjects: action; orientation; trial; rethinking; overcoming performance in a trial. action
• Online Access: http://psyjournals.ru/en/kip/2018/n3/Elkonin_Semenova.shtml
• ISSN: 1816-5435; 2224-8935

The paper presents outcomes of experimental modeling of the conditions for initiating trial action. The hypothesis of our research was that the initiation of the trial action becomes possible when two opposed positions are set within a single action. The trial action was considered the ‘centre’ of retention of two tenden cies of acting — result- and orientation-based. As for the technique, we decided to design the tasks in such a way that they would result in the construction of some object, and this process would, at the same time, display the features of the very field of acting. The research involved 52 subjects aged 7—22 years (students of state schools and universities of Moscow). Using nonparametric methods of mathematical statistics, we revealed several levels of performance characterized by different ‘degrees of trialness’ of the action. The paper describes phenomena that provide evidence of the trial action formation, and also discusses a method of overcoming performance in the trial, rethinking of the task, that was revealed during the experiment. cies of acting — result- and orientation-based. As for the technique, we decided to design the tasks in such a way that they would result in the construction of some object, and this process would, at the same time, display the features of the very field of acting. The research involved 52 subjects aged 7—22 years (students of state schools and universities of Moscow). Using nonparametric methods of mathematical statistics, we revealed several levels of performance characterized by different ‘degrees of trialness’ of the action. The paper describes phenomena that provide evidence of the trial action formation, and also discusses a method of overcoming performance in the trial, rethinking of the task, that was revealed during the experiment.