AN INTEGRATION OF GIBSONIAN AND VYGOTSKIAN PERSPECTIVES ON CHANGING ATTITUDES IN GROUP CONTEXTS

Lewin's proposition that it is easier to change people as part of a group than as isolated individuals is given a systems or niche level interpretation in terms of an integration of Vygotskian-Gibsonian perspectives. Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) concept is given an equivalent within the attitude realm in regard to a group-mediated Zone of Potential Change (ZPC). The ZPC is in turn given an ecological elaboration in terms of how concepts such as affordances and attunements may be used to clarify at a process level the role of groups in modifying members' objects of judgement. The Vygotskian concept of activity is used throughout as a means of integrating these approaches in regard to treating change as a system level property of groups.