| title: | Mechanisms of semiotic mediation in human trait and state characteristics |
|---|---|
| reg no: | ETF5388 |
| project type: | Estonian Science Foundation research grant |
| subject: |
5. Social Sciences |
| status: | accepted |
| institution: | TU Faculty of Education |
| head of project: | Aaro Toomela |
| duration: | 01.01.2003 - 31.12.2006 |
| description: | The aim of the project is to understand better semiotically mediated aspects of human trait and state characteristics. Semiotic mediation is the essence of the change of biologically determined characteristics of mind under the influence of social-cultural factors. That is the reason why better understanding of the mechanisms of semiotic mediation allows to understand better how culture influences mind. So far, the deep mechanisms of the cultural influences on mind are rarely investigated; most of the research has been dedicated to the establishment of the fact of cultural influences on mind but not to the understanding how exactly culture "works". As a result of this project it will be demonstrated how individual variation in very different psychological processes is related to cultural environment. Theoretically, the development of symbolic mechanisms appropriated from culture should be reflected in all semiotically mediated psychological processes. With demonstrating a link between semiotic mechanisms and other psychological processes it should be possible to create a common background for understanding psychological processes that are so far studied relatively independently in psychology. Specifically, it would be possible to find links mediated by semiotic mechanisms between psychological processes as different as traits (personality), mental abilities, "cultural syndromes" (individualism-collectivism; coping styles), and psychological states (detression, state anxiety). With understanding the role of semiotic mediation in psychological processes every of the studied traits, abilities, "cultural syndromes," and psychological states can be better understood also. About one thousand healthy adults, 700 children and adolescents, and 50 participants with schizophrenia will be studied to study mechanisms of semiotic mediation in adults, developmentally, and neuropsychologically. |
| project group | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| no | name | institution | position | |
| 1. | Aaro Toomela | TU Faculty of Education | professor | |