Ruggero Andrisano Ruggieri – författare

Reflexivity is a category that is too appealing not to arouse interest. It is a concept largely diffused in several psychological domains, as well as associated with epistemological, theoretical, methodological and practical discussions. At the same time, it is a very polysemic notion, understood and used in many different ways.If one approaches the notion and tries to identify the semantic boundaries of its usage, the seeming solidity of the term fades away, and a rather liquid semantic field emerges – a field where several interpretations coexist, being contingent to the context of the discussion in which they are implemented. This is the reason that makes the notion of reflexivity a prototypical example of the difficulties encountered by Psychology – and more in general social sciences –in the effort to define their own language. The term “reflexivity” - like many others the language of Psychology is full of – is used in daily life and thus its semantics is shaped by the pragmatic, contingent functions it serves in such communicational circumstances. The apparent – from afar - clearness of the concept does not concern its conceptual, epistemic status, but the capacity of the sign to contribute efficaciously to mediate and regulate the exchange.The theoretical elaboration of the notion of reflexivity can be seen as one of the ways of performing the challenging task of developing an intentional language for Psychology. By working on such a notion one can realize that common sense lies at the core of psychological science and what it means to separate the former from the latter, so as to pursue the foundational task of developing Psychology as a theory-driven science.

Reflexivity is a category that is too appealing not to arouse interest. It is a concept largely diffused in several psychological domains, as well as associated with epistemological, theoretical, methodological and practical discussions. At the same time, it is a very polysemic notion, understood and used in many different ways.If one approaches the notion and tries to identify the semantic boundaries of its usage, the seeming solidity of the term fades away, and a rather liquid semantic field emerges – a field where several interpretations coexist, being contingent to the context of the discussion in which they are implemented. This is the reason that makes the notion of reflexivity a prototypical example of the difficulties encountered by Psychology – and more in general social sciences –in the effort to define their own language. The term “reflexivity” - like many others the language of Psychology is full of – is used in daily life and thus its semantics is shaped by the pragmatic, contingent functions it serves in such communicational circumstances. The apparent – from afar - clearness of the concept does not concern its conceptual, epistemic status, but the capacity of the sign to contribute efficaciously to mediate and regulate the exchange.The theoretical elaboration of the notion of reflexivity can be seen as one of the ways of performing the challenging task of developing an intentional language for Psychology. By working on such a notion one can realize that common sense lies at the core of psychological science and what it means to separate the former from the latter, so as to pursue the foundational task of developing Psychology as a theory-driven science.

Methods of Psychological Intervention provides a rich collection of chapters that provide an invaluable resource to scholars, researchers and practitioners in psychology. Psychological interventions are becoming increasingly popular in contemporary societies. This volume is intended to help psychologists and other professionals understand how general psychological knowledge can serve to guide local and particular interventions. The present volume helps bridge the gap between general knowledge in the psychological sciences and particular instances of human behavior as it takes place in everyday life.The volume forms part of the series ‘Yearbook of Idiographic Science’. Authors draw on principles of idiographic science to formulate interventions applicable to a broad diversity of settings and institutions, such as educational settings, organizations, and medical settings. It similarly deals with various psychological behaviours targeted for intervention, such as gambling, family therapy, and crime. The volume will be of interest to scholars, researchers and practitioners working in the fields of psychology, social work, counseling, family therapy, education, organizational behavior & criminal justice.