Five Basic Themes of Constructivism
Constructivism consists of concepts of truth, honesty, and authenticity that are subjective, based on the individual and their perception of the world. The reality of the individual is created based on what he perceives and experiences.
Radical Constructivists - believe that reality is different for everyone and is limited by the biological structure of the brain and its abilities. It is impossible to know if reality exists outside the boundaries of our minds. (Seligman & Reichenberg, 2014).
Social Constructivists - believe that reality is created through social constructs such as language, culture, and the society in which a person is born and raised. There is not one objective reality, but multiple ways of viewing the world based on these and other variables (Seligman & Reichenberg, 2014).
Critical Constructivists -similar to social constructivists, but they also believe that both individual and social processes contribute to the creation of reality. Meanings are enacted between the person and the world and although we can't know it directly, the universe is real (Seligman & Reichenberg, 2014).
Constructivism views people in positive and optimistic terms and they operate according to the knowledge they possess, reflecting their construction of their experiences and actions (Seligman & Reichenberg, 2014). The central goal of constructivist treatment is helping people develop possibilities and recognize that experiences have alternative meanings and interpretations (Seligman & Reichenberg, 2014).
Constructivist approaches situate the self in the social context and suggest that people can be best understood and helped if attention is paid to that context.
- Active agency - people are active participants in shaping their lives.
- Order - people seek order and organization and to make meaning of their experiences.
- Self and identity - when our sense of self becomes inflexible or fragmented, we are likely to experience both intrapersonal and interpersonal difficulties.
- Social-symbolic processes - order, meaning, and identity stem largely from social interactions and symbolic processes.
- Dynamic dialectical development - people experience constant cycles of experience that can lead to organization or disorganization. We seek balance and may resist change in healthy and self-protecting ways.
Radical Constructivists - believe that reality is different for everyone and is limited by the biological structure of the brain and its abilities. It is impossible to know if reality exists outside the boundaries of our minds. (Seligman & Reichenberg, 2014).
Social Constructivists - believe that reality is created through social constructs such as language, culture, and the society in which a person is born and raised. There is not one objective reality, but multiple ways of viewing the world based on these and other variables (Seligman & Reichenberg, 2014).
Critical Constructivists -similar to social constructivists, but they also believe that both individual and social processes contribute to the creation of reality. Meanings are enacted between the person and the world and although we can't know it directly, the universe is real (Seligman & Reichenberg, 2014).
Constructivism views people in positive and optimistic terms and they operate according to the knowledge they possess, reflecting their construction of their experiences and actions (Seligman & Reichenberg, 2014). The central goal of constructivist treatment is helping people develop possibilities and recognize that experiences have alternative meanings and interpretations (Seligman & Reichenberg, 2014).
Constructivist approaches situate the self in the social context and suggest that people can be best understood and helped if attention is paid to that context.